Beyond the boundary of human and beast (DISCONTINUED)
by Diabolik Pantsu
Summary: DISCONTINUED STORY, REBOOT/REWRITTEN STORY IS NOW UP!
1. Running from your past

The thudding of my heart harmonized with my hurried steps…

My lungs thirsted for air as the heaving of my chest increased…

The cold wind whipped my sensitive cheeks while stray hair clung to my sticky forehead…

None of it stopped me.

_Faster, harder, keep pushing!_ I mentally yelled, my inner voice trying to be heard above my muscles, which continued to cry out from the fiery burn they were enduring. I was running from someone, no, some_thing-_ the sole reason for the frantic fear that clutched my heart and sucked like a leech at my hope.

_Come on, just a little more, just a LITTLE MORE!_ It wasn't what was chasing me that scared me per se, she was no worse than the monsters I was usually subjected to, it was who she would drag me to once I was caught that hit me with true terror.

She was nothing but the deliverer, the hired agent who would send me to my uncertain fate- one too dark to even see.

I don't know how long I can endure the intense fear of the unknown. I don't know how long I can endure the burning in my chest. I don't know how long…how long it will be before the fatigue finally knocks me out...

What happens to me if I get caught? _I don't want to find out._

Weighing out the pros and cons of being out in open territory versus changing course to run through the dense woods, I concluded that the lack of cover left me exposed and it gave me the motivation I needed to move my chase into the trees. That beast may be familiar with forest terrain but this unruly, overgrown environment is the perfect place for me to to distance myself from her. Her bloodhound strong sense of smell wouldn't be able to help her if I ran in the direction facing away from the fierce wind, which currently blew in angry lashes towards the north. And hopefully, the strong scents of the forest would overwhelm her and she would lose my trail entirely while in there- if the smells were disorienting enough. As I drew closer and closer to the edge of the forest, I knew it was now or never to carry out my plan.

A blur of mahogany brown surround me as I dive into the mouth of the nearby forest, clusters of low hanging leaves covering my escape route in a haze of dull sage. No source of light was available to me, save for the silver specks that decorated the black canvas of sky. Even the moon had decided to hide behind the dull grey of clouds rather than watch the game of cat and mouse play out.

In the woods, all that filled my ears were the snapping of twigs and the crunching of fallen leaves as I blindly charge across the forest floor, arms outstretched to hurriedly rip through the dry foliage, the loud rustling I caused giving my position away instantly. It was never my plan to be sneaky anyway, not this time. My strong will to escape instead fuelled intense bursts of speed, my current pace not something to be messed with. Hopefully it would be enough to evade capture.

As I sought to take in more oxygen through heavy breaths, I inhale the earthy smell of moss and half decayed plants, my bare feet sinking into the dry earth as I feel soil settle inbetween my toenails while overgrown grass cut at my lower legs. I scramble over a fallen log, my bitten fingernails pitifully trying to cling onto the great piece of lumber and haul my petite frame over as I strain to hear if the monster was still behind me. I could hear nothing but the sound of frightened wildlife retreating; the scurrying of squirrels clawing their way up bark, the gentle thumping of rabbits as they dove underground. I only wished I could escape that easily.

The fear began to attack me more violently, crushing my hammering heart in an iron fist of helplessness as I felt the creature draw ever closer. My plan wasn't working. Her heightened senses were more sensitive than I'd initially thought. Still, I persevere, clinging tightly onto my diminishing hope that was a gentle nudge away from crumbling away into oblivion.

"Freak~ Come on sweetie, aren't ya feelin' a lil tired yet? Don't cha wanna just lie down…and die?" A dark chuckle echoes around me, the distorted tone of the monster still having the distinctive ring of femininity, even as her voice retained the gruffness of a man. It, no, _she_ was right behind me. I grit my teeth in frustration and push harder, dirt flying up behind me in a cloud of dust as my eyes began to sting...I wasn't sure if it was because of the airborne dust or from the thought that she could catch me, but it blurred my vision just the same. I shook my head, muttering_ 'I won't get caught'_ under my breath, trying to ignore the ring of fright in my tone. She was going to take me back to that place. After all the years of hiding, I was going to be sent back to that hellhole.

I hear a howl, not unlike a wolf's, erupting from the monster behind me. It triggers a burst of light signals, all coming from various points of the forest, them flashing in the sky from what I presumed were the other scouting parties hunting for me- no doubt the human ones who were incapable of howling back. What worried me more than the large number or close proximity of the light signals however was the tone of the howl- it was the sound of something that had caught their prey. I puff out my chest and try to dim the sobs that wrack my chest, feeling my legs turning to jelly. It causes my speed to slowly dwindle. _If I'm going to do anything, I have to act now...while I can still stand._ I draw in a final breath of courage and suddenly veer to the left, stooping down low to crawl through the underbrush and hopefully evade the monster. My escape counted on the beast not noticing my little detour. I charge through the bushes while the gnarly fingers of low branches grab and tug at my short hair, leaving scratches on my bare skin (especially my face). My clothes, now a tattered mess, shed like snake's skin and lay scattered behind me, my underwear now visibly on display.

Bursting through the suffocating path, finally reaching a more open space, I finally summon the courage to glance behind me. I carefully turn my head, seeing no sign of the beast. But my sense of victory was short lived as I immediately feel a rush of dread wash over me, my foot connecting with an upturned root. I crash to the floor, landing hard on hands and knees. I managed to stop myself from getting severely injured due to the way I landed, though the various thorns and roots rising from the soft earth still left long, shallow cuts on my overexposed skin. It's a slow start, but gradually I start to see red peek through my light brown skin, warm blood now running down my arms and legs and creating scarlet streaks across the canvas of my body. As I softly curse under my breath, still kneeling on a prickly pillow of leaves to assess the injuries, I hear a twig snap frighteningly close to me. By the time I looked up, I'm already face to face with the monster.

She stares at me with lupine eyes, cold and ravenous. They were glowing a dark red, the colour reflecting the deep bloodlust she felt. She relishes in my fallen form, staring at the various cuts and scars I'd picked up from the pursuit with merciless chill. She then beckons me closer with her index finger, an inch long claw extending from it, curved and black. What a smug little beast. I was disturbed by the way she laughed at me, her voice sounding gravelly, like two boulders scraping against each other. Finally stopping her mocking chuckle, her mouth closed back into a savage grin, her salmon tongue lolling out of her mouth as she began to pant heavily- her wolfish nature peeking through.

Her clothes aren't as torn and messy as my own, but it seems to do more with the fact she lacks any clothing to begin with rather than her skill at trekking through the woods. Her outfit simply consists of black gym shorts and a sports bra that had no problem holding up her tiny breasts, her chest as flat as any man's would be.

She was no doubt one of the horrid Werebeasts, the kind built with the body of a human, but possessing (and more often than not _harnessing_) various features of an animal slapped onto their body. _They are nothing more than cheap Frankenstein rip-offs!_ It seems she's one of the wolf clan. She was at least 6 feet in height and full of muscle in her bulging arms and legs, her exposed stomach revealing the deep indents of a six pack. Her skin was the colour of charcoal, actual fur sprouting from her lower arms and legs while the rest of her body resembled nearly hairless human skin. Her hands and feet resembled no humans however as they were fashioned after large canine paws, a thick one-inch claw on each of her 4 paw toe mutations that seemed much more flexible and effective at manipulating objects than any typical animal's paws. These paws were also much larger than any average dogs.

The fur she possessed was thick and matted with mud, flora and god knows what else. On top of her head was a wild mane of black hair, tangled and long, cascading all the way down to her lower back. What was also placed on her head were two foot long wolf ears, currently pinned back against her head in aggression, the furry things almost blending into her hair due to the identical colour. Just where the hair on her head finished, the start of a long, shaggy black tail began. Thin hair started at the base of her spine and gradually thickened until you could make out the start of a tail by the waistband of her shorts, the rest of the tail's fur thick and unruly. It was currently raised up, twitching slightly, as dogs would do when preparing to attack. In fact, her whole position showed me she was preparing to pounce, the girl squatting, one of her front paws toying irritably with the long metal chain that connected to the metal collar around her neck.

Yes, just like any dog, her master seemed to want to make it clear she belonged to them- and that included strapping a collar to her neck. This wasn't a standard collar though. It was pure metal, clearly heavy, the rusting on it showing its age. A long, chain link leash was also dangling down from it, the end of it looking as if it had been snapped off…

I was a mess, both mentally and physically, unsure what to do with myself as I realise I would finally have to face her. _Running away is no longer an option_. My hair was caked with mud, strands of hair clinging to my face from the sweat. My eyes were wide, vision wavering as my unsteady pupils dart from her claws to her teeth, breaths becoming shallow the more I notice the sharpness of them. But what felt even worse was my heart, which thudded against my chest like the drums of war, signalling the start of my battle with this beast.

I hastily pull myself up to stand on uncertain legs, struggling to stand upright as I immediately hunch over in pain again, hands pressing on my abdominal wound. The beast had got a good jab with her claws earlier on when we'd tousled, and it was a more severe injury than I previously thought. Still, I look her straight in the face, gritting my teeth to keep the grimace of pain off of my face as I study her closely. My eyes dart across her body, frantically looking for some sort of weakness or disadvantage I could manipulate. but it's hard to find a weak spot when your eyes are naturally drawn to her fierce row of canines, which were all out on display. They were slightly yellowed but still healthy (and therefore _sharp_) enough to easily rip me apart. I needed a new plan,_ fast_! Come on, come on...something, anything, I just need one little piece of leverag-

"Aww, what's the matter, baby? Aren't cha homesick? Don't ya wanna go home? We've been missing ya, really!" She taunts, relishing in the fact she rises above my measly 4'11" stature. I look up at her with caution, my eyes narrowed but my mouth kept shut. Now was not to time to indulge in her mocking tone. She wasn't happy about my silence.

A gasp of surprise escapes my lips as the great beast suddenly launches herself at me, front paws outstretched. I immediately throw my body to the side. I land on my wounded side, hard, biting my lip till I tasted blood just to stop the shriek of pain that threatened to escape me. I roll from my side to my stomach, shakily pushing myself back on hands and knees as I squint with pain at the beast. She was squatting on all fours, like a dog, staring at me with a sinister grin. I force myself to rise, despite the severe bruising I'd just endured. Her lips curl back at my action, revealing canines , a warning action that makes the sharp fangs glisten in the moonlight. She emits a deep growl, her chest vibrating. Drool was also beginning to drip from her mouth. Disgusting.

My amber eyes, which glowed intensely in the night, then moves to notice the way she pushes out her chest and clicks her nails against the ground with impatience, bored of waiting for her chance to finally have me in her clutches for good. A mix of anger, pain and fear fuelled me, causing my human side to deteriorate in favour of my **_dark side_**, something I don't want to have to resort to._ I don't know how much longer I can keep it up before I snap and do something I regret._

"How long's it been, freak? Five, six years? We really wanted ya back at the church, ya know. We haven't found another plaything as interesting as you since-"

"That's nice...I...didn't miss you...at all," I interrupt with struggling breaths, finally able to rise and stand upright once more. I hoped that keeping her occupied with idle chit chat would distract her from more _physical_ means of interaction. I try to refrain from clutching my aching side in this time, blood beginning to spread across my abdominal area and seep into my barely intact shirt. "Though I think...the stench of dirty mutt...had been...permanently engraved into my nostrils...long before this little reunion," I mutter, nearly collapsing as my legs threaten to give out beneath me.

The waves of nausea I previously felt began to frequent my body. I know I don't even have a chance of escaping alive in this retched state. But the thought of losing control, of letting my **_dark side_** come through...was a great risk to consider. _Though if things keep going as they are...I may not have a choice in the matter._ It was taking almost all of my energy to just stand and talk. She knew it, I knew it, and my **_dark side _**certainly knew it.

**"Please, come on, let me kill her…I have- no, _need_ to...we can't end like this, you know we can't...I-I just need to...to hurt her...then we can run back to _her_ …"**

The alluring voice echoes through my mind, so close to my own soft, hushed voice- except it was slightly deeper, held more authority in its conviction and always revealed a hint of arrogance in the tone. It was _that_ side of me again, once again coyly tempting me to do something that would rack me with guilt, a dark action that would impact my even darker fate. That side of me wasn't a fool, it knew of my internal conflict, and knew of my current mindset. Right now, I was considering it, killing this beast, convincing myself it was to preserve my own life...yet also knowing that deep down, a part of me was doing this to sate the bloodlust that plagues me. _What do I do? W-what is the right thing to do?_

The dog barks out a short, mocking laugh before abruptly running towards me on all four paws, my mind too preoccupied with my internal battle to focus on the very real one right in front of me. Before I can even blink, let alone dodge her attack, she lunges at me once more.

This time, she hit her target.

Unable to fight back, I once again crash to the floor, this time, with her on top of me. She was straddling my hips, using her large front paws to pin my arms in a spread eagled fashion to the ground.

"Oh, I'm_ soooo_ gonna enjoy this. They haven't let me kill something in such a long time...they said to catch you alive, you know...but I don't think you're still as precious to them as you were all those years ago, right~?" She murmurs in my ear, chuckling darkly as she half-heartedly attempts to nip the tip of my ear. Instinctively, I shied away from the action. She then began to drag the tip of her claw down my face, the claw delicately following my jawline up to my forehead, and back down again. I had to keep straining my neck so she didn't pierce my face. Still, I let her do as she wished, biding my time, waiting for an opening to escape. I am a patient girl. Just as she was about to bite my shoulder, strings of saliva gruesomely connecting her jaws, I finally began my counter attack. I aim my head at hers.

Head butting her with all my strength, the monster reels back from the feeble but sudden attack, giving me a chance to shimmy out from under her weight and crawl away even as my vision swam. But just as I turn around and am about to break out into a sprint, she slashes at my ankles with her claws and watches me fall back to the floor with a mighty growl. My attack had not been strong enough to disorient her, which I had banked on to allow me time to bolt. I think I ended up hurting myself more than the damned creature.

I cough pathetically as I roll onto my back, my vision blurring as I realise the cause of my strong nausea wasn't just from the blood loss her claw wounds had caused. I'd been poisoned. _There...there must be something in her claws..._ As I feel her paw around my neck, her arm flexes impressively as she slowly applies pressure onto my wind pipe, centimetre by centimetre until my oxygen was completely cut off. I raise my arms to feebly claw at her hands, even while knowing my strength was useless compared to the beast's when not in my _**dark state**_. Her snarling expression becomes a fuzzy blur as I run out of air. _I...need...to do something...or else...I really am going to die._

**"Unleash me, you know it's the right thing to do...I need to kill her...in order for us to live."**

"That's it, freak, I'm done. I wasn't seriously thinking about killing you before, but now…oh bitch, you're _sooooo_ gonna get it!" She sneers, her ruby eyes flashing dangerously. The foulness of her dog breath causes me to flinch as I begin to feel the full effects of the poison: my limbs weak and my head clouded. "Any last words, freak?" She mutters with a sneer, loosening her pressure on my neck to allow me just enough air to speak. I begin to immediately cough, gulping in as much air as I can while I still have the chance. When finally felt my oxygen levels return to a level that would allow me to stop painfully gasping, I raise my heavy head to see the beast still impatiently waiting for my dying words. Despite the pain and the fear, I let out a small smile, looking her straight in the eye and…spitting right in her face. The glob of saliva hit her right by her left cheek.

Her face morphs into pure rage as her paw smashes back down onto my neck again, awful gurgling sounds escaping me as the oxygen flow abruptly stopped once more. Just as the dark spots clouding my vision begin to form, I hear voices behind me, these voices considerably less growly than the one talking to me now. It was the rest of the search party- the human ones. _Great_, I thought dazedly, _now they've all gathered around to watch me die. As if I wanted an audience for my departure._ By this point I can hardly feel anything around me as the battle to stay conscious became harder and harder. My will to keep fighting was slowly draining away. I knew what I needed to do.

**"S-Set...me...free!"**

_Fine, just...fine. Do what you want, just get me out of here…I still...I still need to find her...just...just promise me...d-don't kill them all, please, please..._ I knew it was pointless. That side of me kills anything that's seen as a threat, which included those stupid humans..._Why, why can't they just stay the hell away from me!?_

Just as sleep was about to befall me, I feel my body change, as if a sudden rush of energy was flowing across my body, from my head to my toes. I could feel it in every part of me, flowing through my veins, pure power becoming my new blood supply and being carried to every fibre of my being- my bones, my muscles, my organs. I was suddenly aware of my most basic bodily functions. I could feel every breath, every heartbeat, I could even feel my bones grinding together beneath my skin. It was a surreal feeling, but for me, a familiar one. It had been so many years since I let that part of me out, I found it more painful than memory recalled. But I was more worried than pained, worried to know what sort of death would befall these sinful people, the brutality and lack of mercy I would feel once I fully embrace my darkness giving me countless (violent) scenarios as to how they would finally meet their end.

They told me before I left all those years ago that once I became of age, something about my _**dark side**_ would change...I used to live in fear of that fact, but now, as I stand on my sixteenth birthday, I had come to terms with it and knew what I had to do to survive...even if I chose to use it as my very last resort.

Despite my previous sins, my mind is not as accustomed to killing as my body is.

**"I will avenge our pain. I will avenge our suffering...I will make those bastards remember why they feared our name all those years ago..."**

I felt my mind darken, I felt myself losing control of my body, my motives, my words...but not my thoughts, never my thoughts. But just as that side of me was gaining control, just as I was losing myself to the darkness...I became aware of the voices of the surrounding people, their incessant chatter distracting me. It jolts me awake, ejecting me back into the role of the driver, and my **_dark side_** back into the passenger seat.

Before I succumb to my darkness, before I end their lives, I need to know why they are doing this to me...why they decided to find me now, after all these years...My **_dark side's_** curiosity seemed to outweigh its impatience to kill, and so it begrudgingly submitted. I began to untangle the messy arrange of voices.

It was the voices that rose above the rest in both priority and volume that focused my mind, and made me, for the first time, question the reason for this mess. The church...that temple full of cruel, God-fearing bastards have finally found me...but why, why now? Cracking open my heavy lids, I look to find a face to add to the voice.

"-What do you mean you 'wasn't really gonna kill her'? She's half dead, you stupid mongrel! Look at the state of her. I told you that you could rough her up a bit, but no open wounds and especially no internal damage! What's the boss gonna say now!?" a gruff man booms as he yanks harshly on the werebeast's dangling chain, causing the 'stupid mongrel' in question to start whimpering like a common puppy being told off for chewing the furniture. She was squatting down once again, her tail tucked between her legs and her ears folded downwards guiltily. Her paws were crossed protectively over her face, the creature flinching at every strongly (and unnecessarily) punctuated word the man spoke. When the werebeast's master raised his free arm to slap the beast's cheek with the back of his hand, I couldn't help but think that the master's voice was one of familiarity. Then the memory suddenly hit me. _He was, and still is, in charge of them...the creatures that the church have enslaved in the name of God._ He's been doing this job since before I was born. The beast I've feared as she hunted me down for hours...she is nothing but a hunting dog- no, even worse, a _pet_\- to the ignorant, powerless human standing before me. It was almost laughable to realise the complete power one silly little human had over such a powerful creature, but for some reason, it just made tears collect in my eyes.

"That's what we get for trusting these demonic freaks to do a priest's job. I told you that the devil's spawn wouldn't listen to us, and yet we still let this beast out of her cage all because of the bishop's soft spot for these evil beings," another shrill voice pitches in, sounding considerably younger and more inexperienced. He was certainly more disturbed by the events than the others, made obvious by the horror lacing his tone. He must be a new recruit. _Ha, if only he knew of the evil I'd seen in that church throughout my childhood...this would seem like child's play._

"You watch your tongue, Father Eiji. It's blasphemy to suggest our great bishop has some sort of affection for the devil or its servants. Besides, we only let this she-beast out of her cell to catch an even greater threat- _her!" _He paused to glance in my direction, disgust set deep in his expression. "-and it is her who the bishop requires right now. So do hurry with the cars and tell the other search parties we've found what we're looking for. Set the next destination to the church, and do tell the bishop of her presence with enough time to accommodate her securely. It seems her transformation has already begun" A voice gently orders them, causing all the rising arguments and tension to dissipate as quickly as it had escalated. He must be the leader.

"My…father…wants to…see me?" I manage to croak out, my voice barely audible as I struggle to sit upright. I quickly fall back down however as my **_dark side _**begins to unusually lash out, struggling to stabilise the power within me. If that side of me didn't control the power within us soon, she could kill the vessel in which we shared- my body.

**"A-aah. What...have they done to us? Its hurts...I-It hurts..."**

The poison, the poison they'd given me- I realised in that moment that the poison wasn't supposed to knock me out at all. Whatever its purpose was, it was just starting to take effect now. I don't understand what it's doing to me, to my _**dark side**_, to the both of us. The tingling flood of power I previously felt became much more painful, as if molten lava now flowed through my veins. I couldn't keep my pain hidden any longer: I began to tremble uncontrollably, my limbs thrashing about in a vain hope it would dim this sudden pain. I force myself to open the eyes I don't remember closing, squinting through the pain as I watched the priests surrounding me, my teeth gritted together to stop me from screaming. "W-What...have you...done to me?" I hiss through locked jaws.

The priests glance at each other with a series of nervous looks, fear of repercussion pausing any attempts to help me. Eventually, the soft spoken priest, having finished administering orders, sighs and crouches down beside me, a mixture of disgust and possibly satisfaction on his conflicted face.

"It's ok girl, you were correct, your father is requesting you. He plans to send you somewhere- to atone for his sins. Where you're headed, even the devil himself may be wary to follow…all you need to know right now is that your father has done a terrible thing, almost as bad as selling his soul to the devil himself- in fact child, some may say that is exactly what he's done-"

The first thought that came to my head from that information was that my selfish bastard of a father was clearly selling me in the underground market for supernatural slaves because of some debt he'd gotten- a black market for supernatural slaves doesn't have any laws or restrictions on what you use your slave for once bought...that place was unforgiving and I'd rather die where I lay than let them drag me to the auctions.

"-But your father will explain when you arrive, for now, all I can say is you must endure the pain we have given you, for we have administered you with something to help..._mature_ your powers faster than it would naturally. It is hoped that speeding up the development of your powers will better prepare you for your certainly horrid fate...in fact, I think it best we inject you with the rest of it directly, those dog's claws weren't coated with much of it"

**W-what the fuck is he talking about!?**

I had the very same thought. Before I could protest however, the priest placed a soothing hand on my head. He covers my eyes and I feel a needle be forcefully jabbed into my arm with obvious unprofessionalism, a boiling liquid suddenly rushing through my bloodstream. The searing, hot pain I previously felt suddenly spikes, increasing tenfold until all I feel is a white hot pain. I scream.

**"Ahhh...make...make it stop. I-I can't take this anymore...I'll...kill...these...BASTARDS!"**

I briefly feel several hands grab me, struggling to lift my pain wracked body as I thrash around, my limbs lashing out to hit whatever was close enough to me. Finally managing to get a secure hold of me (one that wouldn't injure them), the priests worked together to carry me for what feels like miles, before finally placing me onto a cold, smooth metal surface. As I hear the slam of metal doors, I become engulfed by complete darkness as I feel the vibrations of an engine starting. My body suddenly lurches backwards as the screeching of rubber on asphalt fills my ears, the sudden movement of what I now realize is a vehicle causing me to hit my head on one of the sides. They had placed me into the back of a van, leaving me alone to deal with the pain as I scream like a mental patient the entire time I was conscious, my voice exploding with pain- both physical and mental.

…

…

…

… That's the last thing I remember, before the pain became too much for me and I blacked out.

I didn't awake again until I was in my old home, the church, where my father had some news concerning my future...

* * *

_**HI! How you doing? What do you think of my first chapter? Do you like it? Or not? All opinions are appreciated ;)**_

Ok, this girl here will be my OC in the story, and obviously, will be meeting the boys soon, probably in the next chapter :) As you can tell, she's not exactly like Yui...But hopefully you think she's awesome and sweet all the same :) You're probably a little curious about the backstory of her after this chapter, but I will explain all in due time, just you wait :) And next chapter you will hopefully see more of her personality and maybe even a little hint as to what her supernatural powers are :)

**So please leave a review if you're feeling kind and you got a little time to show your love, I'd love to know your thoughts on the overall chapter and storyline? If not, thats fine guys cause you can alway show your support through other means ;)**

**...I of course mean following my story or favoriting it...nothing else...HONEST! :D**

**And don't forget to check out my profile for the links to the picture associated with this chapter, it'll help give you a visual for the story!**

You don't have to worry because I promise to update soon, so until then, see ya! ;)


	2. Going to the slaughter house

As I walked along the edge of an old and deserted road, the cracking grey asphalt surrounded by the dense green of towering trees, I realised just how far civilization was from my new prison- I mean, my new 'home'.

The roads were nothing but skeletons, the paint worn away perhaps by time and the harsh elements- though certainly not by frequent use of drivers. I had been walking for hours on deserted paths like this one, all of them increasingly similar in their frustrating silence, even the natural sounds of tweeting birds or whistling wind unable to penetrate the dead air that befell such a desolate place.

The nearest village must have been miles behind me by now, where the townspeople had given me more than a little warning about my destination. Every time I had stopped a wandering man or woman to ask about the directions of the Sakamaki household, they'd all had the same shocked, jittery and even aggressive reaction to my question, most of them leaving me with vaguely ominous warnings about how the place was 'haunted' before scurrying off, their expression disturbed. These people weren't even impressionable youths with overactive imaginations, nor did they possess the aged mind of an old man with one too many tall tales- most of the people I'd questioned had the wrinkled brow of middle age on their faces. I'd have thought they'd act a little more mature and logical than that, but small towns were known to have their silly beliefs and customs.

I, of course, didn't heed their warning of turning tail and staying far away from the house, already knowing of the less than human occupants of the place- though I was a little surprised by the obvious lack of believability the princes seemed to put into acting like normal, human members of society. They probably thought they are above humans though, being royalty of their own superior species and all. As for the tales of ghosts and ghouls greeting me at the door, I was almost laughing. Seeing spirits wasn't a new thing to me. Let's just say it was one of the unnatural 'talents' someone like me possessed.

As I finally saw the first signs of civilization, after hours of having nothing but the unsurprisingly dull company of nearby shrubbery, I sighed with relief. The fatigue of my long hike had started to creep up on me, settling in my thighs and soles of my feet. I was glad to be able to rest- even if I wasn't so enthusiastic about the actual destination.

I strayed from the road to stand in front of the mansion's great gates. It was incredibly high, towering above me, showcasing the vast distance in wealth between me and the family living behind it. It was made out of iron bars, pretty little spear heads fashioned artfully along the top of it. But atop the iron gates was a beautiful archway that arched over the spear heads, made with two parallel pieces of thin, bent iron poles. Intricate spiral patterns filled the gap between the two poles and in the centre of the arch was room for what I presumed was their family crest. It was placed in the peak of the gates height, where it proudly showed. Connected to each side of the gate was the start of a 6ft high stone wall, grey, and what seemed to stretch miles out in either direction, perfectly showing how much land these Sakamaki's actually owned. _They're rich_, I realized with sight idiocy- because they were, you know, royalty and all... wealth would obviously have been a given. I shook my head, slapping my cheeks slightly to stop myself standing and gawking at their place like some sort of peasant gazing wistfully at their Lord's home. Walking through the large gate into the start of acres of private land, I tried to swallow down my overwhelming awe, forcing my feet to keep moving straight towards the house- no, _mansion, _that towered above me.

Walking along the cobbled path, fern and ivy growing up through the crevices of it, I noticed that the trimmed grass surrounding the path was immaculate, not a single patchy area visible to me, the green colour of it almost unearthly in its vividness. I was so used to overgrown natural environments that seeing a garden, a piece of artificial nature (so beautifully and meticulously cared for) was an exciting moment for me. Trees stood sentry as they bordered the entire front garden, their great antlers parading the deep emerald of their leaves, which cast creeping shadows across the ground. I tried to take in as many sights, sounds and smells as I could before I had to go inside, feeling quite overwhelmed by all the extravagant things I was surrounded by.

I walked in slight awe towards the marble fountain, which had to be the most beautiful garden centrepiece I'd ever seen. It was thoughtfully hand-crafted, with three circular tiers built up on top of each other with perfect precision, the top tier finished off with a solitary gargoyle that had water spilling from its mouth. It was standing as if preparing to take flight, its marble wings unfolded, its beak open wide, frozen in a single, eternal moment of departure. I felt quite sad looking at the melancholic eyes of the gargoyle, feeling I shared those same wistful emotions now.

I knew that once I entered the mansion, I wouldn't be able to leave the grounds, at least, not without constant supervision or special permission from my 'masters'. No matter how much I yearned to spread my wings and fly away from hell, I would forever be weighed down by those that kept me in that same agonizing moment as the gargoyle- teetering on the edge of hope to leave, but grounded by the reality of my entrapment. I sat by the edge of the fountain and placed a hand in the cool, clear water collected at the bottom basin, the powerful streams of the liquid as they crashed onto the lower tiers almost melodic as it resonated in the surrounding silence. I imagined them as the fallen tears that had no doubt been shed in mansion by those who came before me. Splashing the water lightly with wriggling fingers, I watched the ripples in the water expand and disappear, reminding me of the previous sacrifices hopes and dreams, expanding with so much potential before inevitably disappearing just as all the ones before them had, wasted and forgotten. Sometimes it was hard to imagine that those sacrifices, no, _girls_, were actual people, with normal human lives and families. Maybe it was just easier to think about them in a detached way? I wondered if my life would be seen just as trivial as theirs. Just another addition to the many lost souls haunting the place… I shook my head to stop the dampening thoughts clouding my mind, looking away from the water as I forced the tears welling up in my eyes to withdraw.

I was a survivor, I had been my whole life. Because of that, I knew I would not end so easily.

I refused to allow myself to wallow in self-pity, I was much stronger than that- or at least, that was what I told myself so that the fragile shell that was my nerves didn't crack. I had already accepted my new fate the night before, allowing me to achieve the determination I held now, even if that determination was somewhat wavering...

* * *

_"Urgh…W-Where am I?" I groaned, slowing dragging my aching body upright as I moved to cradle my throbbing head. But when I did move my hands, I noticed something cold and heavy tightly wrapped around each of my wrists. The distinctive sound of metal clinking together filled my ears as I hastily gave my arms a sharp tug. With sudden fear, I tried to move my feet only to realise that they were tightly bound together and unable to move no more than a few inches apart, just like my hands. I was…chained up? Blinking my eyes rapidly, my vision cleared just enough to see that I had indeed been tied up with metal chains, several inches thick. They had bound my feet together with heavy industrial restraints while my hands had been bolted to a heavy metal pole I was leaning against, the chain's distance unreasonably short. The pole had been placed in the middle of the room, it cylinder shaped and as thick as a tree trunk. The heavy chains give me enough slack to let me stand, but not enough to let me move more than an arm's length away from the post. I grit my teeth in frustration. Why must they go to all that trouble when they knew my strength didn't surpass a typical human girls? Taking the chains into consideration, I slowly scanned my dimly lit surroundings to immediately notice I wasn't alone. I was in what I recognised to be one of the many rooms hidden under the church, the particular one to...'discipline'...beasts like that dog who'd chased me earlier. Why, after all the time since my escape, did they suddenly decide to search and capture me again? Especially after such a long 6 years? There was only one person in the church to have the sort of authority and resources to even attempt to search the whole of Japan for me._

_I heard the echoing tap of his footsteps before I saw him. He was coming from the sole door situated behind me and although I couldn't turn around to check, I knew by the intimidating reverberation of his footsteps that it could be no other than the infamous bishop of the church. My father. His steps were slow, deliberate and echoed in a way that made it seem the sound was coming from all four corners of the room- just like his booming voice would no doubt do when he finally decided to speak. When he walked to the front of me, I had my eyes fixated to the ground, just so I could prolong the time before I had to greet the horrible man. The time spent away from my father hasn't lessened my hatred of him._

_"Child, raise your head. It is respectful to greet your father warmly after returning home." His booming voice cut through the bare room, his tone sombre. There was nothing in this dungeon besides him, me and the chains he had tied me up with. Though with the effortless way his voice filled the room, you'd think there were at least 10 men standing above me instead of just one. I finally raised my gaze._

_He was a scrawny man, with spindly arms and legs, his body clearly feeble even if the power he held over others was strong. He was probably in his early forties, no more than in his mid-forties at best, but due to being hammered in every direction from the stress of his horrid job, it had accelerated his age and withered his looks prematurely. He had wrinkles lining every part of his face, as if he'd been in the washing machine one too many times and has now shrivelled because of it, hollowed cheeks and sunken-in eyes another consequence of the stress from his less than typical job. He'd dealt with creatures so much stronger than him every day, his methods to control such beings cruel, and because of that his appearance had aged to reflect that evil side of him. I could see the darkness that had morphed him as he stared down at me, the colour of his eyes so dark they were almost black, like two merciless black holes on his face. His gaze could burn straight through the hope in even the stubbornness optimist._

_I wasn't so intimidated by him though. I had spent my whole life with this man and so knew how to challenge his depravity accordingly._

_"Respectful? Warmly? I don't think those two words describe our relationship in any way, shape or form. And 'home' is a pretty loose term to describe this prison." I answered with cold detachment, looking blankly at him. It was as if I was looking straight through him into his blackened soul- that was the sort of haunting gaze I gave him._

_It was the only thing I knew that could ever really unnerve him, my deep gaze._

_When I disliked someone, I was quick to become angry and heated when talking to them, that the just the openly emotional person I was- but it was only when I conversed with someone I really despised, truly hated, would an icy reserve instead surround my heated emotions. _

_"I'm sure I can think of far more crude terms to describe this _shithole_ than home- oops, I've just let one slip through my tongue. My apologies, __**father**__." The way I spat out the word would make you think I had poison in my mouth, a large contrast to my naturally hushed tone. He was the only man I had met that could turn my soft spoken voice into something so icy and dead- and I had met a lot of horrible men in my life._

_It was as if his very presence froze my heart. _

_My father continued to stare at me with his piercing gaze, equal with intensity to mine, silent in response to my words. I watched him intently as he walked closer to me, his posture upright, proud, his eyes scrutinizing me with a condescending air. He knelt down to my level on creaking bones before raising his pasty hand. Instinctively, I flinched from him, expecting a rough touch. I was surprised when he murmured 'Be still, child' and rested the hand on my head in a delicate manner, gently stroking downwards. My body tensed at the rare moment of affection, suspicious of the motives behind it as I stared at him with defiance. Though I didn't make a move to stop him, feeling that the tender 'father-daughter' moment would be short-lived anyway_. I suppose I can humour the old man this one time, it's clear he's doing this to hide crueller intentions anyway...

_"You have grown over the years, child, in more ways than one." He commented, taking a strand of my grey hair between his bony forefinger and thumb. "You've cut your hair." He stated bluntly, referring to the messy, outgrown pixie cut I now adorned. Back when I lived here the curly tips of my (now wavier) hair brushed the back of my knees. "You're face has lost its baby fat as well, yet still possesses that childish glow." His fingers reached out to brush the overgrown fringe from my eyes, his eyes glancing over my freckled cheeks. It had been 6 years after all, and puberty had changed me almost entirely. "Although, your eyes haven't changed one bit, they still hold that delightful curiosity from your youth, as well as that…rebellious spirit I've always loathed." And as he grazed his bony fingers against my cheek, I gently leaned against his palm, focusing on the warmth of his hands instead of the chill in his voice. Despite the facade of his clearly being a ploy to set up something bigger, I couldn't help but turn a blind eye and pretend, even if just for a moment, that he was a real father to me. It was pathetic that I still felt the need to crave parental love from the man, who clearly loved to play me like some sick, twisted game._

_We stayed like that for a few moments, nothing but silence passing between us before his hand decided to take a much more southern direction. "And your body…is truly one of an adult…your skin…it's so dark, beautiful…you look just like your moth-AH!" He was cut off as I bit into his hand, his flesh being punctured by my small, canine-like teeth. _Ah, so that's why he was...dirty old man_. They didn't do much damage, as it could be considered no more than a warning bite, but it still drew blood._

_He reeled his hand back with a grunt as he flashed me a dangerous glare, before silently reaching into his pocket for a bundle of white bandages. He had prepared for my reaction, it seemed. He began to tut with disapproval as he wrapped them around his wounded hand, while I spat out the disgusting red substance to rid my mouth of the coppery taste, throwing him a steely gaze._

_"Don't act so familiar with me." I warned, narrowing my eyes at him. "You know, as much fun as it has been talking to you after all these years, I think it's about time you tell me the real reason why I'm here." My father stared at me long and hard, silence enveloping us, before sighing and rising from his crouched position, a deep frown set in his aged face. It was then that he finally explained the true reason I was summoned._

_"As of tomorrow, you are to be relocated to a new location, a new _home_. One that is much more suited to handle your…talents." He explained, as if that was all there was to it. My eyes widened at his words, surprised that this was the sole reason for my capture. I tilted my head in confusion, curious to know more of this arrangement. Why capture me to just send me away to be someone else's problem, especially if I was already out of your way in the first place!?_

_"You really expect me to willingly go to this unknown place? I need to know more that, father. Your church buddy said to me you'd made a deal with the devil, is that true? Are you offering my soul to hell instead of yours?" I asked with a slight sneer, sitting up straighter. The grimace on his face wasn't a good sign._

_"I'm afraid, my dear, that's classified information. Though I will say that you may very well be going to hell on earth...although, I dare say your obedience skills will decide how long you can stay alive in that place." He elaborated, smiling sympathetically at me as he did. I didn't want his sympathy, I wanted answers. "I can tell you it's not all doom and gloom though. You will be pleased to know that you won't be in a cage, dungeon or anything of the sort you were accommodated with here. No, you are lucky enough to be the new pet to very __rich__ and __powerful__ young men."_

_"Who? And why do you want me there? Are you sending me off to the fighting ring, like those demon dogs you once held here?" I asked with suspicion, the memory of dozens of money hungry scumbags walking past my cage with demon dogs in tow, high voltage shock collars around their necks, filling my thoughts. They were different to the Werebeast I'd encountered at the woods, these demon dogs more literal animals than a combined mix of human and beast. Though they were still far more intelligent than average dogs though, and felt just as much emotionally as any other creature. I had only ever been to that supernatural fighting ring once, as a warning from my father who wanted to show me how cruel he 'could' be towards me. The warning was effective of course, the cruel hands of those sadistic bastards while they forced the creatures to fight their own brethren made civil war seem like some sort of petty family feud._

_A chuckle escaped my dad's lips._

_"Oh no, these boys are of a much higher class than those sleazy men. You are now the lucky pet of not just 1, but 6 new masters, all ready and waiting for you to complete your new duties-"_

_"And what duties are these? I presume these creatures aren't human, and powerful ones at that, by the way you speak of them with such…praise." I interrupted, a frown on my delicate features._

_I never understood how my father could hate anything that wasn't human, dedicating his life to making their life hell, but could just as easily turn around and worship those same creatures if they had the slightest bit of money or status behind them. To think, he's supposed to be the renowned Bishop of an underground church dedicated to controlling and killing all creatures born as the devil's children- which basically means anything not human. _

_He nodded his head in response to my question before adding that my 6 new masters had a father who was extremely influential in the human world as well as in his own domain, where you could even call him a king. That was why it was unfortunate -but essential- that I go and meet my fate with these creatures, even though it 'pained him' to watch his 'little girl' go._

_"They all have the same father? They must be future heirs to the throne…6 supernatural princes looking for some young girl to go live with them, her duty to be obedient and let them do to you as they please…" I muttered under my breath, looking down at the cold floor thoughtfully. Suddenly, a humourless grin spread across my face. "Yes, I'm sure a man like you is oh so distraught over sending his 'precious' daughter to such a fate." The smile fell from my face as I cast him a knowing gaze. "Don't mess me about, father, I hadn't had to deal with this shit since I was ten and I don't expect to play this game with you any longer. An opportunity like this must be a dream for you, sending me off to what is no doubt a slaughter house while you sit proudly on the high horse that is your church, denying you ever let the birth of such an abomination occur!" I spoke with merciless chill, my eyes beginning to glow in the low light of the dungeon, a flicker of pain flashing across my father's face at my words. But I wasn't so fooled by his false guilt. This man had closed off his heart to me since long before I was born._

_"Now that's not true, I've always tried to at least give you a half-decent life, but considering what you are, I can't very well offer you a perfect style of livin-"_

_"Okay, I understand, so your solution is to cart me to off to some hellhole where my life will be shortened considerably- even though you could have just left me well alone to happily live my life out like I'd been doing for the last 6 years. I don't believe for a minute I'm the first girl that's been sent there by this church, and I don't think I'll be the last one should I perish while staying there. I'll probably die before this time next year. I don't need to have lived a 'normal' life to know that becoming a slave for some demonic princes isn't close to a 'half decent' life at all." I retorted, my voice wavering as it strained to stay collected. To further prove my point, I even shook my hands to perfectly showcase the shackles that were commonly part of my 'half-decent' life. My father began to become angry at my words, despite me calmly voicing out the truth he seemed to clearly deny existed._

_"You are going to the Sakamaki household and you will willingly give up your body, mind and soul to them or else-" My father began to shout, the volume of his voice causing me to jump slightly._

_"-And if I refuse?" I piped up quietly, my voice solemn. My father took a double take at my words, realising his sudden anger and immediately calming himself down. He took something from his pocket. He sighed deeply, rubbing his clean shaven chin regrettably (as if to prepare himself) before once again kneeling down to my level, a stern look on his face._

_"You seem to be forgetting who is in control here. You're six years of freedom have made you forget the obedience that the church had instilled into you. You don't honestly think we just 'couldn't find you' or simply 'forgot about you', do you?" I was silent, staring at him with slight caution. I was beginning to feel uneasy about where he was going with this. "Humph, it has only been a day, yet you've already dismissed the fact that when we found you, you were spotted leaving your hideout, weren't you?" He suddenly became cocky, moving his lips towards my ears as if confident I wouldn't attack him. I became seriously worried. He dropped his voice to a faint whisper. "Do you know what we found, when we raided that hideout? Hmm? When you were making your escape did you leave something behind? Or was it…someone?" I suddenly hissed, jolting towards him with unrestrained rage. But he was prepared and leaned back, just far enough so that I was mere inches from jumping him, my body straining against the chains. It was then that he showed me what was on the photograph (the very thing he took out of his pocket), and my peaceful resolve crumbled right in front of his eyes._

_"No, No, NO!" I roared at him, throwing all my strength into escaping the chains, my body tense. "You wouldn't dare, you piece of shit! Touch her and I'll…I'll…" I felt tears prick my eyes as my father laughed, saying that there was nothing either of us could do now, it was in the hands of the church…unless of course, I behaved and did as I was told._

_"I'm sure you noticed the change in your body when you turned 16 yesterday, even if you hadn't understood It, and it would be both irresponsible of me and careless of the church to just leave you to grow up into a reckless young woman with powers she can't even control..." He paused, moving to stand up, beginning to pace. It was something he always did when we was about to lecture me. "We, the church- who protect the public from dangerous creatures such as yourself- aren't fully sure what sort of powers you will accumulate in the next coming months, as you are unlike a creature we have ever lived to see...but I have recently gained a partnership with a man who knows much more about you than you even know about yourself, and he has offered to take on the complications and struggles that comes from dealing with you coming of age- powers and all." A twisted grin appeared on his thin lips. "Which is why you are to be watched and taken care of by his wonderful sons. The man said his son's would be delighted to receive a shiny new toy such as yourself…the other human ones broke much too easily" He must've been speaking of the prince's father, the one who was king of...well, whatever the creatures were. "In fact, he was the one who told us to give you that injection earlier, so that your powers would already be mature by the time you reached them. Better to deal with the power all at once instead of risking you dying before they fully peak- that was what he said to me. We don't know what sort of liquid he put in that syringe, but I wasn't about to argue. They say that man has performed experiments surpassing human's current knowledge by decades…"_

_Of course, the strange injection, how could I have forgotten? It had shaken up my __**dark side**__ tremendously. _I haven't been able to hear her voice inside my head since I'd became conscience. _I usually only ever heard her voice if I was in potential danger (or occasionally if she wanted to get some bitchy comment about my life across), but considering I was back in the horrid place of nightmares, she should've been screaming at me to kill- so why wasn't she? He was telling the truth about me feeling...different. I could still feel my power's presence within me, as if it was just bubbling beneath my skin, impatiently waiting to burst free. Yet at the same time, my __**dark side**__ felt distant from my mind, as if we were disconnected somehow. The obscure presence of her voice no longer tugged at the back of my mind. It was strange, or at least, stranger than I normally felt._

_I'd struggled futilely against my restraints while he spoke, the chain connecting my arms taut as they yanked my upper body back. My neck had been stretched towards my father, my teeth bared as if threatening to bite him again. He'd watched me silently, arrogance radiating off of him. _

_He paused his pacing, beginning to closely inspect the picture in his hand instead, knowing the power it held against me. Finally, after I had exhausted my strength, I reasoned that he was just taunting me and I could do no harm to him in my state of restriction. I let out a tiny, barely audible sob, before slowly sinking to my knees, admitting defeat. I stayed there on the floor, silent. Breathing heavily and with my head down, I begrudgingly gave him the answer he was looking for._

"_Fine…I'll go. I'll be...I'll be a little lap dog for these boys- these princes. But if I go, how will I know you won't harm her?" I finally mustered, sniffling slightly as I did._

_"What? You don't trust the word of your old man?" He joked, gaining nothing but stifling silence from me. "Ahh, I'm afraid once you're in the hands of these princes, the church is no longer entitled to dealing with you- or be associated with you in any way, in fact-" He quickly shushed me as I began to rise again, a threatening hiss escaping me. "-Okay, okay...I'm sure, as the man overseeing those dealing with the various creatures down here, I could afford to let out a creature or two to meet you- with some sort of evidence of me keeping my word, of course. It'll give you some sort of closure, I presume." My father carefully worded, deliberately giving me one last flash of the vile picture before pocketing it again with renewed resolve. That smug bastard knew he had won, knew that I had no other choice but to accept his offer._

_Either I go live with the princes, become their pet and possibly have a chance at prolonging my own short life and hers...or I refuse, be forced to go live with the princes anyway (because there was no way they'd let me run away again) and eventually perish knowing I made the choice that didn't save her. There was only one option, even if it wasn't a good choice to start with._

_I looked up at him, my eyes brightly glowing amber as I meekly nodded my head in agreement, mouth closed for fear my voice would tremble if I spoke up. My lower lip quivered with uncontained emotion. My father smiled, chuckling lowly at my defeated state. "You're a brave, brave child- and a smart one at that. Let's hope your brains can keep you alive in that place, you are more familiar with the supernatural world than the human one, after all. I'm sure you'll be quick to adapt to your new masters…'acquired tastes'….hehe." I didn't like the way he spoke those last words, as if it was some inside joke I was unaware of. "The girls before you didn't have your particular 'set of skills', so they were killed off pretty quickly. I'm sure even if you aren't powerful enough to kill them, which wouldn't be advised if you want __**her**__ to remain unharmed anyway, you should be able to defend yourself a little better at least- though be warned, it will most likely lead to a horrible punishment of some sort, much worse than the one's we ever gave you here." _

_My father had always argued that the way he'd treated me had been close to 'spoilt', but that was only if you compared it to the creatures that weren't blood related to him. They would've been killed if they had dared thought about trying some of the things I had. _

_"Anyway child, what I'm trying to say is, if you keep your mouth shut, be the obedient girl I know you are, and try to endure the cruel things you will no doubt be subjected to…I have a feeling you'll survive there a lot longer than any of the other girls have. Always remember: Your body may be human, but the power within you is anything but..."_

_If I didn't know my father well enough, I might have thought he sounded concerned, maybe even guilty about all of this, but I knew his true, ugly colours were just hidden by his mockingly sincere voice. I felt hatred rise up inside of me as my father left the room, leaving a passing comment about the raid party collecting my possessions from the hideout they found and 'packing them as we speak'. Bitter tears spilled from my eyes and rolled down my cheeks like a flood as I was left alone in that pitch black room, preparing myself for my inevitable future..._

* * *

I sighed as I looked at my reflection in the water, feeling dirty despite the very thorough cleansing session I'd endured by the nuns that morning. They had washed every inch of my skin until I was scrubbed raw, my scalp feeling tender after the particularly vigorous conditioning session I'd put up with. My father had gone to every length to make sure I was suitable for the princes- despite denying my accusation that whatever deal he had made with their father had involved wagering his life in one way or another. I was offered a full pampering to ensure I looked my best; hair products, clothes, makeup, perfume, lotion and all sorts of strange feminine products were offered to me as if I was a princess preparing for a ball. It sickened me the way they dressed up the sacrifice before offering it to the higher powers, it reminding me too much of what the old ones did to virgin girls before sacrificing her to their gods. Although I didn't initially accept the spa day, I knew the moment my father told me of my morning agenda I had no choice in it at all...besides, after the way their little Werebeast had knocked me about, I had been quite happy for the nuns to deal with my more serious wounds that wouldn't heal on their own.

Thankfully, my body was a little more durable than an average humans, even if it wasn't the instant/superfast healing some of the creatures the church possessed, my body could easily heal some of the small bruises and scratches I'd gotten almost overnight. My sprains and severe cuts would've had a normal person rushed to hospital by now though...I hated that my father had refused to send me to a professional, or at least a qualified nurse, and made the nuns patch me up instead...though it had been better than nothing, I guess.

I almost wished the nuns hadn't spruced me up like some sort of doll, me half wanting to come storming into the mansion, grubby and smelly and loud mouthed and bitchy, just so it would be reported back to the prince's father and mine would suffer his own demise for giving them such a terrible slave. _Dying for a man like him seems like such a waste though.._. But what frustrated me about the situation the most was that no matter how hard the nuns had tried, and damn had they tried their best, I just couldn't look…_human_...enough. There were just some things about me that couldn't be hidden by some shampoo and body butter.

I saw my ears twitch slightly at the thought, them what I suppose considered 'elf ears', because of how unnaturally pointy they were at the top. I opened my mouth slightly, noticing the small teeth I possessed, and the tiny, almost unnoticeable canines that came with them. But what was most noticeable about my abnormalities was my eyes; my large, childishly round eyes which were usually orange, but could glow as bright as neon amber when my emotions came into play. I could never look truly normal, no matter how much I try...

My thoughts were interrupted as rain drops landed in the fountain, disrupting the still water and distorting my reflection. It was at that time I decided it was best that I just got it over with and finally faced the princes. The sooner I accepted my new position, the less pain and regret I would feel over it...or at least, that was what I told myself. I was already starting to feel numb inside about the decision to comply with my father. I just had to remember, I was doing this all for her. Besides, I knew that I had to hurry it up, since there was no doubt I was being watched-probably by some creature that usually dwelled under the church.

My father had mentioned to me, during his little farewell speech, that 'we'll be watching'. I hadn't really taken his words seriously at first, thinking he was just trying to scare me into not running away. He'd persisted it was important I'd make the journey to the Sakamaki's on my own, without an escort. The cruel bastard was the reason I had to walk for hours with a map I couldn't read. I would have much preferred some money for a taxi. Though if there was one thing I knew about my father, it was that he stuck to his word. And as I'd walked down those windy, deserted paths, I'd gotten a constant, nagging feeling at the back of my neck, as if I was being watched. It wasn't until halfway through my journey that one of the spies finally slipped up and I'd caught them tailing me from the thick cover of nearby shrubbery, the sparse foliage unable to hide the unmistakable flash of a furry face watching me closely. I had no doubts that they were watching me from the Sakamaki's private garden right this moment, probably making sure I actually went inside so they report it back to my father and he'd keep his word of keeping _her_ safe.

There were only three rules I had to follow to ensure that _she_ would be completely safe in the care of the church and forever ignorant of my current fate with the Sakamaki creatures: 1, DON'T KILL ANY OF THE SAKAMAKI'S WHILE IN THEIR CARE, 2, DON'T DIE WHILE IN THE CARE OF THE SAKAMAKI'S and three, DON'T CONTACT _HER_ WHILE IN THE HANDS OF THE SAKAMAKI'S.

A pretty horrible deal that wasn't in my favour, but one that I had no choice but to accept. _Oh, the things I do for her…._

Gripping my suitcase tighter, I hopped off the edge of the fountain and mentally prepared myself for the final step on my journey to hell. But before I had even taken moved, the few trickles of rain present suddenly turned into a downpour, drenching me instantly. Crap. Running towards the mansion for cover, I was glad in that moment that I'd chosen to secretly wipe off the make-up the church had offered me- or I might've had to walk into the mansion looking like a drowned clown. As I stood under the porch roof, shaking my head like a wet dog to get the excess of water out of my hair, I quickly assessed the damage to my clothes.

I hadn't prepared for bad and chilly weather so I was wearing a deep crimson summer dress the church had chosen for me, black ribbon tied to be loosely wrapped atop my hip bone while another was strapped underneath the curve of my breast- to apparently 'highlight my femininity'. Black lace bordered the bottom of the dress that ended by the middle of my thighs- to 'give the illusion of long legs', my measly four-foot-eleven-inch height not exactly the supermodel standard.

The crap the church tried to pass me off with when presenting me with the outfit (about femininity and long legs), made it painfully obvious they thought I wasn't 'beautiful' or 'sexy' enough the way I was, so they'd hoped that by dressing me up with pretty things, like some sort of doll, they could improve my appearance to pass the Prince's standard. _Makes sense, princes could get any girl they want, after all_. I couldn't do anything but quietly grumble when they'd forced the thing onto me, the girly summer dress not quite my sort of style- even if the deep red and black colour scheme of it was. Even the little black shoes and red knee high socks had been forced onto my liking by the church. The only thing I'd managed to wear that was my own was my favourite hoodie. They had tried to burn the thing when I'd argued about wearing it, but thankfully my father had airily mentioned to the nuns that I'd need some items of clothing from my old life, to 'give me comfort and strength for the new life ahead'. It was jet black with a deep red lining inside, the hood particularly special to me since it had two long ears attached to it for the appealing look of bunny ears. Rabbits were my favourite animal, after all. It was a tad oversized for my petite frame, causing the jacket to hang lazily off my shoulders as well as cause the long sleeves to cover my hands completely- but it was my favourite item of clothing and I'd refused to let the church burn it like they had the majority of my old clothes. They had gotten rid of most of my old possessions because they were, as they'd phrased it, 'the devil's bribes to keep me on the evil path'. I was lucky to have kept most of my trinkets, again, due to my father's delusions about the sentiments of them preparing me for my life ahead.

Thankfully for me, the hoodie they'd been so quick to dismiss was the only piece of clothing that actually protected me from the nasty weather. It seemed that the church had forgotten that I could actually feel the cold, just like any other person.

Shaking off my dishevelled appearance, my gaze drifted to the exterior of the mansion instead, a state of amazement forming within me. I found the architecture of the old building remarkable. There were dozens of huge, arched, paned glass windows positioned around the front; various vines, roots and moss growing up the side of the wall and curling around the windows mentioned as if a deliberate decoration. _So pretty..._ but what caught my eye most was that just above the porch was a large, detailed carving of the same pattern that adorned the front gate- the Sakamaki crest. It was then that I remembered that aristocrats and other important members of high society had great respect for their family name. Perhaps the reason they'd plastered it everywhere was because they took pride in it. I suppose if I was royalty, I would take pride in that sort of thing too. I sighed. What was I getting myself into?

Shaking my head, as if to rid myself of my growing nerves, I grabbed the ring hanging from the mouth of a bronze lion head bolted to the door and banged one, two, three times, the heavy thuds echoing deeply through the wooden doors.

I waited.

Then I waited longer.

And then…

I waited some more.

The fact that no one was coming to unlock the towering double doors anytime soon, combined with the chill that rushed through me from the blustering wind that was getting increasingly worse, I decided to take matters into my own hands and try and unlock the door myself. My past _none-too-legal_ activities had allowed me to learn how to efficiently pick a lock- though never one of such an expensive home. I simply considered it a challenge. But before I had even moved, the strangest thing occurred. Just as my hand reached out to touch the one of the brass handles, the door clicked and pushed inwards, effectively opening by itself. My hand froze, my outstretched fingers curling inwards, back towards my palm. The townspeople's warning about the house being haunted popped into my mind, and it was then that I began to genuinely become curious as to what creatures I would be facing. The church had refused to say. Breathing in an encouraging breath, I gripped my suitcase tighter and cautiously walked into the front room, considerably less confident than I had wished to be.

The front hall was like none I'd ever seen before: a red carpet ran the length of it, from the door, up to the grand staircase, before turning at a fork to follow two branching staircases that seemed almost endless in scale and length. They even had pillars, all lined up in a row on either side of me, various spirals and swirls intricately carved into the surface of them. I walked down the red carpet, feeling almost like a celebrity as I unconsciously began to confidently saunter instead of timidly scuttle. Passing the carved pillars, I noticed that at the bottom of the stairs were two gargoyles standing sentry on the bottom of the banister. The gargoyles were holding lit candles on their heads. I thought it strange that they had candles lit, until I looked up to notice the enormous golden chandelier, filled with dozens upon dozens of lit candles- real, wax-dripping candles. I was suddenly worried about standing directly below it, realising that I could get hit with the hot melting wax. I idly pondered how old fashioned these creatures were. Who still uses candles as a source of light in this day and age? Were these creatures immortal? Whatever the answer was, these boys were clearly raised in a different time to me.

Quickly realising no one was coming to address my presence, not even one of the many servants I'd presumed they'd have, I decided to look around the ancient mansion myself before the initial meeting. I was slightly afraid- as anyone in my position might be- but I was never the type of girl to just stand around waiting for the danger to sneak up on me while I wallowed in a pool of my own tears. I need to take a bit of initiative.

I walked into what I thought was the living room- not entirely sure as the house was so huge. The living room could be any of the number of rooms downstairs. I scanned the room and found no sight of anyone- or anything's- presence, making me wonder where exactly they were. Surely they must've realised I'm here by now? I wasn't being the stealthiest when I'd noisily trudged in here, wheeling my squeaky suitcase behind me.

Just as I was about to walk into what seemed like a another (second?) living room, a flash of lightning from the storm brewing outside lit up a large pane window positioned on a hallway that veered to the left. It brought my attention to something lounging underneath it. It was a boy- well, closer to a man than a boy- seemingly asleep on a green couch strangely placed in the middle of the hallway. It had a leaf design printed all over the green fabric while the legs and border were mahogany, the furniture clearly expensive even if randomly placed. How did I miss him? Had he been…invisible? I shook my head of such an idea, logically thinking it was just a dimly lit hallway, before reminding myself I didn't know what they were and for all I knew, they could fart rainbows and have pet leprechaun named Larry. I had to tread carefully.

He looked about 17, wearing what looked to be a black school jacket, shown by the stitched logo on the breast pocket. These princes…actually went to school? I thought royalty got private tutors, not associated with commoners at a public school? Wait, no, forget that fact, these creatures are obviously older than they look, so why would they still be attending high school? Perhaps it was just for appearances?

This boy was wearing his uniform very sloppily though: He had one black trouser leg rolled up to the knee, the black laces on his red and black trainers undone and his white shirt wrinkled and untucked, the buttons undone all the way down to the centre of his chest. He let off a very rebellious, careless vibe. Slowly walking towards him, so as not to make a sound that would disturb his slumber, I watched his sleeping face closely. He was a tall, slender young man, with an unruly reddish-brown mop of hair that supported his 'just rolled out of bed' look perfectly. I could tell right away that he was a trouble maker, despite the childishly peaceful look on his face as he slept. His whole appearance just screamed 'bad boy' to me.

Though there was definitely something off about the way he was sleeping…deciding to push my limits further, I glanced at him carefully before delicately moving the end strands of his red tie away from his chest, the silk material loosely wrapped around his neck. I softly brushed my fingers against his chest, watching his face intently as I ever so carefully pressed my palm slightly off centre on his chest. Just as I suspected...there was no heartbeat. That was what was off about his sleeping, he wasn't breathing! With his unmoving chest beneath my hands, I also realised just how cold his skin was, the freezing temperature of it a shock to my senses. On instinct, I flinched and moved my hand away, surprised by the new discovery. Quickly debating what to do next, I decided to bite the bullet and go all the way to test my newfound theory- by reaching up to touch his face. Feeling more and more queasy the more I narrowed down what sort of creatures the symptoms were all commonly connected to, I decided just to just screw it and risk waking him in an attempt to analyse the creature's body further.

Just as I brushed his hair away from his forehead to feel just how cold he really was, I felt my heart suddenly palpitate wildly, strangely painful. It was frighteningly sudden and momentarily distracting, so much so I didn't regain concentration until a cold, pale hand grabbed my wrist. I jumped, my heart jolting back to a normal state as I stared at the boy in shock. I was so surprised, I didn't even bother to question why my heart had done that when I'd touched his face. I instead got distracted by the fact his eyes were green, the same colour of the scenery I had been subjected to all day, and narrow, sleepily glaring at me.

"Damn, you're touchy." He groaned quietly, sitting up in the couch to glare at me more. "This isn't your house, you can't just come in here and touch what you like." He muttered in a gruff voice, a frown on his face. I just stared at him with wide eyes, noticing how, out of context, what my actions must have seemed like. I had essentially been groping a stranger while he was sleeping. Well, it wasn't the best introduction I could've come up with.

"Sorry, I was just…appreciating what was in front of me?" I muttered with a cheeky grin, shrugging innocently as I did. I suppose phrasing my excuse that way didn't help my case against the little fondling session, but the boy wasn't really listening to me anyway. He instead blinked in surprise as he studied my face closely. When he'd grabbed my hand, my raised hood had slipped back and revealed my face, my expression having been shadowed before. "What the…oh, it's a girl. What are you doing in a place like this? Ah?" He asked, his voice suddenly much more eager than before, a smug little smirk spreading across his face at the discovery. Now that he knew I was a girl, he was quick to flirt with me..._humph_, what a typical grade A douche. I had a feeling he made that smug expression a lot, which seemed to sum up his entire personality in one word. Arrogant. _Massively _arrogant.

"Well I was just, you know, in the neighbourhood, decided to drop by…" I said offhandedly, not even trying to hide the joking tone of my voice. He just looked at my light hearted expression and laughed, swiftly wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me towards him. I gasped in surprise at his action, the boy pushing me down on the couch so I was directly underneath him. He pinned me down by sandwiching my hips with his locked knees, me lying on my back, crushed by his weight. My arms laid above me, relaxed and unrestrained. I tilted my head in curiosity, eyes wide.

"Well...what exactly are you going to do now?" I casually asked, eyebrow raised. I didn't like where this was going.

"You already know the answer to that. You're like a moth that flew straight into the flame, huh?" He chuckled darkly, bending his head down towards my neck. "Right when I'm hungry as well, aren't I lucky?" He murmured against my skin, his tongue poking out to greet my neck. The action was as quick as a lizards, and it caused me to freeze at the unfamiliar sensation. I had hoped we'd at least exchange names before we started this sort of business, but it seemed that he was the type of guy to jump straight into those sort of matters.

"Come on, dude, what are you doing? You can't just lick people whenever you want." I said softly, wiping the wet trail he had left behind and throwing him a disgusted look. He just retorted with a cocky grin, saying that I was the one who started this whole 'touching without permission' act. I opened my mouth to retort, but quickly closed it when I saw his point. But that's not why I was-

"Now, shut up." he hissed into my left ear, about the finish the business he started. I blinked at him in bewilderment, not sure how to react to his demanding attitude. Then I came to my senses. I started to wiggle beneath him, pushing on his chest as he took a second taste, annoyance rising in me.

"I said…get off of me…I'm not an ice cream…so stop licking me like I'm desert." I complained, exasperation in my tone as I began to push harder. I could feel his breath against my neck. _It's cold,_ I mentally noted, concluding that breathing must be optional for them if he can sleep without taking a breath but could casually blow cold air in my face when he got a little excited. He simply chuckled in amusement while I pondered the odd thought.

"What lively prey you are, comical too. But don't struggle…be a little less…wriggly…" He demanded as I felt his mouth opening beside me, the cold breath against my skin causing goosebumps to immediately spread across the area. Just as I began to think of a last minute way out of this situation, my left leg positioned inbetween his own (preparing to attack a universal weak spot of men and creature alike), a voice cut across the room, pausing both of our actions.

"Why is it so noisy? I would prefer if you didn't always cause such commotion after waking up, Ayato." A voice announced, clearly annoyed. I watched the boy known as 'Ayato' look up and utter the name 'Reiji' in surprise, before relaxing and _tsk_ing in annoyance. I looked at the intruder of our intimate moment with surprise, momentarily startled, before I shot him a sheepish grin, inwardly cringing at the fact we had to meet in such a compromising situation. I briefly turned to Ayato to give him one last hard shove, indicating to him that he needed to move, now. Hastily sitting up, I smoothed down my dress after Ayato begrudgingly got off of me, finally giving me the chance I was waiting for to move and look presentable for this Reiji character. "This is the entrance hall. This place is meant to greet our guests…" Ah, so Ayato must treat all the girls who visit like this. "…So take your activities to your private room"

Reiji seemed to be older than Ayato, though not by much, probably only about a year. He was wearing glasses just like me, except where mine were large and the frame in the standard 'geek' shape, his were slim and rectangular, giving him a very sophisticated look.

I had broken my old glasses in that chase with the she-beast but the church had luckily given me a new pair, the easiest pair they could obtain with my prescription strength. I'd never actually been to an opticians, my prescription the strength it was simply because it was the only pair I stole that actually improved my eyesight- the many, many previous spectacle thefts that had taken place prior didn't work out because they didn't have the desired effect on my eyesight (either too strong or too weak for me).

This Reiji person however seemed to be someone who took pride in how he looked, shown by how his uniform was without a crease and perfectly spotless; black shoes shined, burgundy tie knotted expertly and a buttoned red vest was even worn over his black shirt. It gave him the look of a very distinguished gentleman. He even wore white gloves, I mean, what 18 year old boy does that? He reminded me of a butler, only, his presence seemed much more authoritative than that- as if he was the one to give the orders instead of follow them. The way he held his head high, the way he straightened his back when he stood, the way those dark, piercing red eyes looked down condescendingly at you…he was a very imposing character. As he ran a hand through his ash-coloured hair, his overgrown hairstyle almost shoulder length yet neatly styled, he flashed Ayato a pretentious smirk.

"What happened to put that idiotic expression on your face?" He sneered, enjoying the caught look on Ayato's face, the redhead looking almost like a child who'd just been found stealing from the cookie jar. What worried me most about that analogy though was that Ayato _had _been treating me as if I were a delicious cookie…

I decided that it was time to intervene with the two brothers teasing session and get some answers- hopefully without getting saliva on me. It was becoming increasingly obvious what these creatures were, but I wished to stay in denial over it until I was absolutely sure, hoping it would prolong the inevitable action they would no doubt attempt (again). I was not ready to deal with that sort of shit.

Standing up to introduce myself to Reiji, who didn't look like the type of person to pin down and start licking me as if I was a lollipop, I heard an unhappy Ayato voice out his displeasure at me leaving his side.

"Oi!" He yelled, swiping at me as I scampered over to Reiji. I simply turned to show Ayato a humoured smile at his failed attempt before turning back to stand in front of Reiji, this time respect shown on my expression. Reiji seemed to be a polite person, so I hoped showing him respect would ensure I didn't get into another indecent position- or at least, not tonight.

"Hey du- I-I mean…good evening, Sir. You're Reiji, right?" I said softly, quickly correcting my speech in an attempt to seem politer than I usually was. He gave me a quick, disconcerted glance, asking who I was as he pushed his glasses up with his middle finger, peeking over them pretentiously. "I'm Akako, it's a pleasure to meet you!" That was a complete lie, well, at least I was honest about my name. "I suppose…well now that- no, what I mean is…_Sigh_, from today onwards, I will be…l-living with you" I awkwardly explained, trying not the cringe at the thought of my words becoming reality.

"Living with us? I've heard nothing of the sort. Ayato, what is the meaning of this?" He sharply asked, abruptly turning to Ayato, who was casually sitting with one leg raised, an arm resting on his elevated knee.

"Urgh…I dunno! _Chibi Koinu_, you didn't say anything about that before." Ayato replied in quick defence, his raised voice showing his irritation about the attention he was receiving.

"Well I was going to, but then you suddenly decided to attack me and make me your next Popsicle snack so I…wait a minute, _Chibi Koinu_? What's that supposed to mean?" I said, stopping myself mid-sentence at the realisation of his new nickname for me. Why was he calling me a 'little puppy'?

He _humph_ed and looked away from me, as if it was obvious why I was assigned this new nickname. Calling me a baka, he told me that it was because my chest was quite disappointing, not like the big dogs he was used to. I took a step back at his explanation, the words, _'what a dick'_, filling my thoughts.

"Hey, they may not be Great Danes, but they're certainly not Chihuahuas either." I retorted, voicing my thoughts playfully as I proudly crossed my arms across my chest, a cheeky grin appearing on my face. I was not about to get flustered by the jerk.

He looked surprised by my humoured manner, before grinning widely, amused by my response. He didn't say anything back though, looking to Reiji as he asked if he knew anything about me coming here, to which 'No, I haven't heard a thing' was the only answer.

Their clueless reaction to my presence filled me with both a sense of worry and relief; On the one hand, if they thought a mistake has been made, I could be able to leave this place unscathed and no one (particularly my father) would be the wiser. I could go back to the church and take _her _from their clutches before the truth of the matter got to him…but if they think I'm useless to them and simply an intruder, they could just decide to dispose of me in a much more _permanent _way. I wouldn't put them above mindless killing, in fact, I think the creatures could even enjoy it. As I weighed up the likelihood of leaving alive, Reiji was muttering to himself about how he hadn't been informed of me. It seemed to greatly disturb the man that he was in the dark about something. He was displaying the signs of a control freak.

"Come this way, I will need to sort out this matter immediately." Reiji suddenly piped up, turning on his heel and marching out the room with purpose.

I jolted into movement with a start, quickly seeing him vanish around a corner. I guess he's wasn't the type of guy to let others slow him down either. As I cast a quick look behind me, I saw an old butler, hunched and wrinkled, appear from the shadows and grab my suitcase, retreating back into the shadows just as quickly as he had popped out. It was creepy, to say the least. But I didn't have time to call out to him, because Reiji was already out of my sights! Shaking my head to rid it of the strange butler, I turned back around only to see that the redhead was still staring at me from the couch, his eyes watching me with a bored expression. He must've been so used to the many girls that come and go that the girl's initial surprise at the strangeness of the household and its inhabitants must've been tiring for him to deal with by now. At least I knew I could handle it better than most human girls. I pulled down my eyelid and poked my tongue out at him, not unlike a child, before I turned on my heel and rounded the corner, hearing Ayato _tsk_ in annoyance at my behaviour. I focused on catching up to Reiji.

Having to practically run to keep up with Reiji's long strides, my short legs not able to match his brisk pace, I was finally led into a large room that had much more seating than the hallway in which we'd previously conversed. The room's décor seemed to be a strange Victorian-Goth theme, the colour scheme of the wooden furniture a dark blue. There wasn't anything you'd usually find in a living room- no TV, no embarrassing pictures of you from family holidays and not even quirky vases or decorations your mum insisted 'brought the room together'. Then again, they didn't live with their parents, so the last two won't have apply anyway…but no Sky+HD? No DVD player? No games console? What sort of teenagers were these creatures!? I then reminded myself that the creatures were probably older than my grandparents, and perhaps due to that they weren't as invested in current technology as teenagers of this generation would be.

There seemed to be nothing in the living room save for a mahogany coffee table at its centre, a three seater couch with two matching armchairs placed around it and the walls filled up with countless paintings of stern looking old men.

What I focused on more than the interior design, however, was that when I'd walked into the room, Ayato was already slouching on one of the armchairs, looking impatient as if we'd taken too long. Had he just taken a shortcut? Or were these creatures quite possibly incredibly fast? There were so many questions buzzing through my thoughts, but I bit my tongue and decided to wait until I was sure they were even going to let me stay here before asking them, even as my lips burned to fire a dozen questions at them.

"Now in the interest of formality, tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to this house." Reiji said, looking at me expectantly. By the way he'd worded the request, I had a feeling he had no interest in learning about my frivolous life, and was simply curious to know how I got here so he could stop this business with me and go back to whatever he was doing. The unwelcome atmosphere I'd felt clinging to me since I first walked into the house suddenly spiked, the cold feelings from my future housemates not exactly a pleasant thing to experience.

"Um, yes, right, I…" I didn't know where to start, not particularly sharing of the fact of my questionable humanity, especially to creatures who could find me a threat and kill me without question. I was becoming nervous.

_Come on, get it together Akako, you can proudly defend your boobs with Ayato without batting an eyelid, but when someone asks you to tell a little bit about yourself, your confidence suddenly crumbles…_

Worried that keeping Reiji waiting would anger him, I finally opened my mouth to speak- only for a voice to cut through my own.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my, what do we have here~?" A cheerful voice giggled, coming from the left side of the room, where a small staircase dwelled. "Is it really true? That there's a cute little human girl here~?" he asked, his voice quite musical, rising and lowering in pitch as he spoke. When I looked to the top of the stairs, I saw him leaning over the banister, looking down at me with intrigue.

The way his eyelids hooded over his jade eyes clearly showed the lust he was feeling, his mouth instantly curving into a flirtatious smirk when he saw my gaze was directed at him. I could tell right away he was much more of a ladies man than Ayato. The strikingly similar appearance of them both really made it clear they were brothers, unlike when I saw Reiji and questioned their immensely differing looks. This brother had the same signature reddish brown hair as Ayato, though his was longer and more untamed, grown all the way down to his shoulders. It was also covered by a large black fedora with a red ribbon around it. He seemed to have a bit of a casual style like his brother Ayato, though his uniform was not worn as sloppily- as if he actually cared about his appearance. Laito seemed to keep up with the youthful side of fashion unlike the businessman-like brother Reiji. He had a burgundy jacket on under his school blazer, the hood bordered with white fur. His black tie was loose and his white shirt was unbuttoned down to a reasonable amount (_Cough, cough_\- not like Ayato). His black trouser legs were rolled up to his knees, similar to Ayato's except both of his were rolled up instead of one.

Before I could truly ponder the fashion of the boys, I felt something cold and wet touch my cheek. I flinched in surprise, and was shocked to see that the brother I dubbed as fedora freak was there, sitting comfortably by my side after having just licked my cheek. He was just like his brother, no personal boundaries…

...and incredibly fast. I was starting to think there was no shortcut to the room at all.

"You know most people say hello as a greeting…is all of this licking really necessary?" I joke with a grin, wiping my cheek with my sleeve as I looked to him. The guy just giggled in amusement at my answer, greeting me in a less than average way-

"_Fufufu_…Well, hello, it's nice to meet someone who smells so nice and sweet." He complimented me, smiling charmingly. I have a feeling he was not on about the new rose perfume on my neck. Before I could say anything, Reiji scolded the boy, called 'Laito', about his bad manners. He shouldn't do that to a lady in their first meeting apparently- though Reiji made no attempt to say that it shouldn't be done _at all_. How long would it be before Reiji felt comfortable licking me as well?

"_Nfu_, Reiji is as stiff as usual. Isn't this fine? I'm just sampling a delicious girl…" Laito answered, a completely innocent look on his face as he spoke. _He doesn't think that what he is doing is weird or wrong_, I thought, suddenly realising that Ayato acted that way as well. If all the brothers' morals were questionable, what exactly was I going to have to put up with while living here? I was afraid to find out…

"Knock it off, bastard, I'll kill you. Ore-Sama saw her first, so putting your drool on Chibi Koinu after I did is not an advised thing" Ayato explained, glaring at Laito unhappily, as if his brother was claiming his new toy for his own. Laito laughed louder, saying you have to put your saliva on delicious things or else uncivilised brothers eat it up first. I stared in disbelief at the fact they knew I was there, yet blatantly talked in front of my face like I was a piece of meat.

"How about you just appreciate the delicious thing without using your tongue, like maybe admiring the thing from afar? Like from a ten mile radius perhaps…?" I piped up, annoyance starting to lace my cheery tone, my words earning nothing but an irritated glare from Ayato and a giggle from Laito. The fedora wearing flirt started saying how delicious things should only talk when spoken to, before asking someone called 'Kanato' if he agreed.

It was then that I noticed someone else had entered the room without me knowing.

They definitely possessed inhuman speed if I couldn't even notice someone coming up behind me...then again, the boys' strange personalities _were_ quite distracting...

"-Let me have a taste too, though you're not allowed to move, okay?" The young boy softly requested, snapping me out of my thoughts as he bent over the back of the sofa and licked me just behind the ear. I flinched a second too late, only swatting air beside me as he completed his speedy attack. _Jesus, I'm just covered in their goddamn saliva, aren't I?_

He seemed to be shorter than the others, but not nearly as short as me, and had a considerably younger look about him compared to his brothers. I had a feeling that he was older than he looked though, shown by his soft yet mature voice. He had violet hair, matching his round lilac eyes that had dark, also purple, marks beneath them. The bags under his eyes were probably due to lack of sleep- he looked like an insomniac. And although he was dressed almost as smartly as Reiji in a maroon vest and knotted red string tie, his childish appearance was reinforced by the long shorts, knee high socks and most importantly, the teddy bear he clutched tightly to his chest. It seemed like a standard beige bear, with a black eye patch and salmon pink vest, but the stitched smile that spread across its furry cheeks seemed eerily long. There was even something off about the way it stared at you, with its beady glass eyes. The bear gave off the same conflicting vibe as this 'Kanato'- cute, but creepy. I had a feeling I should be careful when around him.

He seemed happy right now though, telling me in his soft voice that I was sweet, describing me as an unusually delicious girl compared to the rest of the 'dirty human species'. It was the first time anyone said I was valued above the 'dirty humans' that the church usually thought I was beneath, so I felt almost pleased with the compliment...almost. I was mostly disgraced with myself for even finding that sentence appealing, even if just for a second. _Damn, I'm so confused about how I should react to these strange brothers..._

"Erm…thank you? I guess…" I said to the boy, tilting my head in confusion at him, not sure how to reply to such a comment. I was more confused about how to stop the damn creeps licking me. Kanato gave me a long, hard stare at my response, before turning to his brothers and asking why I was in their house, ignoring me completely.

Were they deaf or was I just not a valued voice there? Was I only there to sit and look pretty while they took turns molesting me with their tongue...? While I simmered with annoyance about my presence being ignored, Laito seemed pretty certain that I was 'tonight's side dish', making me worry who the main course was and more importantly, if they were still alive.

"Baka! You guys have it all wrong if you think she's a 'side dish'. This one is mine, because Ore-Sama saw her first, hehehe." Ayato said proudly, a smug look on his face.

"You know, I really don't think I particularly belong to anyon-"

"But you did fail to eat her when you had the chance." Reiji reminded him, an amused smirk plastered on his face as he cut through my comment. I sighed, figuring that perhaps it would be best to sit back and just watch the brothers squabble among themselves, my voice clearly not being heard. Although, I had to admit it was quite funny to watch them bicker amongst each other, almost like normal brothers…if they hadn't been arguing about eating me, of course. I leant forward, resting my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands, eyes eagerly darting between each brother as I watched them interact with intrigue.

"Fuck off Reiji! Don't say unnecessary things!" Ayato yelled at him, pointing an angry finger in his direction.

"Haa, how dull." A gruff voice rose up, filling the room and coming from…well, nowhere. It was as if a ghost was speaking, which, with the weird things that had been happening lately, it very well could've been. "I'm so sick of you addressing yourself as 'Ore-Sama' as well. It's getting pathetic." Ayato seemed to know who it was, jumping out of his seat as he angrily called the owner of the voice a 'bastard' before saying his name, 'Subaru', and ordering him to show himself. It seemed Ayato was very conceited considering how he addressed himself, and by Subaru's comment, he must normally act this highly of himself.

"Humph, over here" he called out, finally revealing himself by appearing in the middle of the room, some sort of distortion in the air where he stood. It was obvious now, my eyes weren't deceiving me. They weren't really fast at all, they could just…teleport!?

The creatures were more powerful than I'd ever imagined, and I felt a jolt of fear run down my spine at the fact. "I thought I smelt human around her…the reason is you, huh." He grumbled angrily, glaring at me with steely red eyes. I sat up straighter at being directly addressed.

Despite his gruff voice, he seemed quite young, a school blazer also part of his outfit. With silvery white hair and blood red eyes, he was what seemed to pass as an albino, his white mop of hair veiling one of the striking scarlet eyes in question. He had similar eyes to Reiji, red, sharp and narrow, though they were less emotionless- fury the heated emotion Subaru's eyes currently possessed. "Thanks to you my precious sleep was interrupted, what do you have to say to that?"

"I'm sorry, I suppose? But I can't really control how strongly I smell, unfortunately…though I did have a bath this morning, if that helped at all-" I said, flashing him a teasing little grin as I joked with him.

He didn't appreciate my humour though and just became aggressive, slamming his fist into the wall before I'd finished my sentence and shouting that he didn't care!

I jumped in surprise, staring at the wall wide eyed and gobsmacked. I watched the newly created crater in fright…and awe. They were incredibly strong, much more than the average human. An unwelcome thought then popped into my mind. What happened to me if he ever got bored of the wall? Loose pieces of wall split and fell onto the floor, creating a pile of rubble by his feet. But while I looked on at Subaru with a mix of fear and fascination, Laito burst out laughing.

"Wo-oah~ as hot hot headed as ever, little brother, _Kukuku_" Laito giggled, tipping his hat towards Subaru in acknowledgment. So Subaru was younger than him, making him about…16 years old? That was the same age as me, now that my birthday had just passed. Though I re-reminded myself that they just _looked_ that age, and that they were clearly at least a century old, if not more.

Subaru's raised his voice even more at Laito's comment, calling him a 'year-round slut' who he wouldn't dare think as an older brother. Oh god, did that mean he was always this slutty? I really didn't want to be his next bedroom victim. He seemed like the type of guy to have some really weird fetishes...

"…How annoying, if you don't close that impudent mouth of yours, I'll chop it up, you know?" Kanato suddenly piped up, bored of his brothers arguing. Subaru just scoffed and called him a pipsqueak, brushing off his threat with a sneer.

I was starting to understand a little more of the family's dynamic from my short observation. They clearly weren't the most functional family, though I supposed mine were pretty dysfunctional too, so I couldn't really complain lest I be a hypocrite. All of the arguing did show me that they'd spent a lot of time together though, to be insulting each other so personally must've meant that they knew each other very well. Either way, I hoped they wrapped it up soon.

If there was one thing I disliked to be around, it was arguing.

"Will you all stop being so irresponsible? Even a gentle person like me will start to become angry at such a farce." Reiji sighed, the scowl on his face hardening his features. I looked at Reiji, thinking that although he'd been the most polite of the boys, he by no means came across as 'gentle' to me. There was a dark, sadistic aura around all of them, and I had a feeling that all the manners from Reiji was just a façade to hide his true nature. "_Go burn in hell and seethe as you wish_…is what I would like to say, but I'll restrain myself. I will not tolerate my naughty brothers struggling for this girl." I might've been relieved he said something if I hadn't of felt the main goal of the sentence was just to stop them acting rude and had nothing at all to do with saving me. "Firstly, I would like to know the reason why this girl has managed to stumble into our home in the first place." Silence met his question, only the dull puff of air escaping a cushion was heard as Ayato threw himself back into his armchair, sitting sloppily. I decided it was time to speak up.

"Well, erm, y-you see, I'm…how do you say it, not e-exactl-" Before I could finish that sentence, Ayato's voice decided to make an appearance again. _When will these bastards just shut up? _I was becoming very annoyed by their tendency to interrupt me at every opportunity - I couldn't get a word in edgeways!

"What's up, Chibi Koinu? Cat got your tongue? Why is your voice trembling?" He joked, a wide grin on his face. Oh haha, saying I was a dog who's eaten a cat, how original...

"_Nfu_, just as I said, how Kawaii~ it makes me want to eat her up right now." Laito voiced out, shuffling closer to me so he could put his arm around the back of the chair where I was sat. It was the typical 'Subtly wrap your arm around her shoulders' move they always use in movies. Looked like the player knew his moves...

"Heh. I can hear her ragged breath, it looks like we're quite scary to her." Kanato added, looking at me like a bear would at a hunk of meat, his smile spreading farther across his cheeks than any smile ought to have. It was chilling.

"That's not true…I'm just not sure how to explain myself, that's all." I bashfully retorted in defence, awkward laughter in my tone as I scratched the back of my head sheepishly. I was trying to figure out how to explain the reason I agreed to come here while still seeming like a normal human being, with a normal human life. Though if I was being honest with myself, I _was _getting increasingly edgy around them. I was too weak to fight these creatures. It was a simple fact, one caused nerves to creep into my heart until it rattled against my ribcage with worry. Without being in my _**dark state**_, I was just a pathetic, more or less human girl. Plus, since the church had captured me, my _**dark state**_ hadn't made a single appearance through my thoughts. I was on my own, for now.

Reiji told his brothers not to interrupt me, warning them to behave themselves before he really got angry (something I definitely didn't want to see), before opening his mouth and doing exactly what he just told them not to- interrupt me.

"You there, girl. You aren't so indecisive that you cannot talk, so you better explain yourself quickly…unless you want to be struck by my whip that is…?" He added with a threateningly low tone, a sadistic grin appearing on his face at the thought. I noticed his hand twitch at the word 'whip', as if it was itching to reach for it just at the thought. I supressed a shudder.

"Y-You whip people here? That's a little medieval, isn't it? …Alright, alright, I understand, I'll talk, I'll talk. No need for that" I rambled, wide eyed and waving my hands nervously, even as an anxious smile was spread across my cheeks. His words brought back memories, bad memories. I gently rubbed the necklace around my neck, the design of a small bat, helping it calm my nerves as I carefully explained why I was here. I missed out most of the information, like my father threatening me about_ her_ and me (despite looking- and apparently smelling- human) having powers, simply telling them my father was a bishop from a church many towns away and he'd told me that I was to move into this very house with them.

Ayato started laughing. Loudly.

"_Pff_, Hahahaha! Wait, you're telling me you're a girl of the church?" Ayato snickered, gasping inbetween loud spurts of laughter. I closed my fist around my necklace as I murmured distantly that I wasn't exactly considered that back there. If they heard the melancholic air to my words, they ignored it, Subaru growling out that the entire situation was complete shit. I couldn't help but quietly agree with him. Shit, a hot, steaming pile of shit, pretty much summed up the situation perfectly.

"Hmm, to think that a girl of the Lord is in this residence, what fate…" Reiji wondered aloud, making me want to stop biting my lip and shout out that I didn't care about the Lord at all. Still, I let them think what they wanted of me.

"What a pity, but isn't it strange that someone with connections to the church would refer you to this place, of all things…" Laito murmured, gazing at me with curiosity. Wait, if they thought that, then did they not know of the true nature of my church? Of its underground association with people like them…? I decided that the solution to all of the confusion could be sorted out with a quick trip to my suitcase, suddenly remembering a very important item within it.

"Look…My father wrote a letter addressed to this place, explaining everything…It's in my suitcase, so if I could just get it then I cou-"

"Wait. I am attempting to verify the truth of this information. It would be both impolite and impractical to leave this room now, wouldn't it?" Reiji interrupted with deadly chill, just as I'd stood up. I froze, feeling that I wanted nothing more in that moment to leave the room before something _really _bad happened. But I knew I just couldn't ignore his request, not with the powers they possessed, so I obediently stayed where I was- until I could find another chance to escape their presence that is.

Ayato seemed to agree as he teleported right in front of me, catching me by surprise so I stumbled backwards and landed back on the couch with a thud. Unfortunately for me, it was right into Laito's waiting arms. Ayato told me to stay here, with him, while Laito cheerfully agreed, talking about how unbearably painful it was to live in a house full of men as he sneakily wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Perhaps if Bitch-Chan lived with us for a bit, it might become a warmer place, eh?" Laito murmured in that musical voice of his, a squeak of surprise escaping my mouth as Laito's hands affectionately pulled me closer to him. The little man-slut started to bury his nose into my neck, sniffing loudly.

"Who…who the hell are you calling Bitch-Chan!?" I asked in shock, considerably more offended than when Ayato called me Chibi Koinu. I didn't remember doing anything that warranted being called that, and the way he said it so upbeat made it almost seem like he was complimenting me. These guys were crazy! I started to push against the restraint of his 'loving' embrace. "My names **Akako**, you understa-"

"Oi, all this commotion is getting too loud." A voice complained, another- _and final_, I mentally noted, remembering there were 6 altogether- brother appearing out of nowhere to complain about his beauty sleep. As if these creatures needed it. It was a boy older than the ones here, perhaps one of the oldest. He was sprawled out on one of the empty sofas, one hand behind his head, his eyes closed as he listened to whatever music was coming from the earphones stuck in his ear. He seemed much more laid back than even the messily dressed Ayato, his slightly curled, pale blonde hair tousled from sleep. The school blazer he wore over a beige sweater simply draped over his shoulders, not even put on himself properly. His eyes were still closed, even as he addressed the room.

"Great, just what I needed, another friend of theirs to join the party." I sighed, glancing at him cautiously as Laito finally let me go, allowing me to sit beside him instead. The boy frowned and said that being considered friends with them makes him greatly upset, they had more of what he would define as an 'undesirable but inseparable relationship'. I repeated the words in confusion, before slowly nodding my head in agreement, understanding what he meant. That was the perfect sentence to describe sibling relations. He ignored my mumbling under my breath though and asked to himself aloud if I was the girl 'that person' mentioned?

Ayato became curious and asked 'Shu' if he knew me. The boy known as 'Shu' shrugged his shoulders absently, not interested in the slightest. But I was secretly puzzled as well, desiring to know who 'that person' was. My father had mentioned he'd never spoke to the princes directly before, so perhaps they were talking about their father? This king? They must not like him much if they don't even say his name. I mean, as much as I hated mine, I still called him father out of spite, just to remind him of how much of a shit parent he was to raise _me._

"Ugh…Don't just brush the question off, I want an explanation, in detail." Kanato demanded, clutching his teddy tighter with frustration. I silently praised him for being upfront about it, not sure how long I could calmly wade in this sea of uncertainty.

Shu sighed deeply, as if it was too much effort to even open his mouth, before lazily informing us that 'that person', presumably their father, called to say that they'd be getting a new roommate from the church, and he wishes for us all to get along and treat her with respect. _Well, you can call back to say I've been treated just like a fucking princess here_, I thought sarcastically, wondering if this was the nicest and most respectful these creatures could muster. Ayato exclaimed that I must be something they called a 'prospective bride', while Laito laughed in delight at his own joke of me being more of a 'sacrifice than a bride'.

It was then that Laito began to prattle on about it being a 'godsend' to have me here. I, however, was much more concerned about the official title they were giving me. What did they mean by bride? Were the girls that were sent (and mysteriously vanished) here possible brides for them, but then killed when they weren't good enough _waifu_ material!? Perhaps Laito's comment about me being more of a sacrifice than a bride wasn't too far from the truth.

I had to make sure they liked me, not enough for them to want to marry me, but just enough for them to want me to stick around. Another jolt of fear rushed through my veins at the new information.

Reiji was a lot calmer about the situation than his brothers, brushing off the news with an 'Oh, I see.' For someone who'd been so bloody concerned about my presence a minute ago, he seemed awfully lacking in response to the answer he'd been waiting for. But perhaps those girls departing into the afterlife was just as easy for the princes to do as throwing away gone-off milk….no guilt or attachment at all...

Maybe I was just going to be seen a piece of meat to them?

"Well, isn't this lovely, I'm really going to be living with…" I didn't finish the complaint, sighing deeply as I stared at my lap with frustration, my hands clenching into fists as they rested on my lap.

"What? Vampires." Shu muttered, my eyes snapping up to see him staring at me with one eye cracked open, revealing the pale blue colour of them. I looked back down at my lap at the comment, flashing a sheepish smile.

"Yeah, I guess. If I'd known before, I would have brought a supply of garlic and crosses with me." I joked, scratching the back of my head nervously. I was usually bad in these sort of situations, always resorting to some cheesy joke to distract me from the erratic thudding of my chest. I always acted like an idiot in these situations..._Urgh, curse my inability to function calmly_.

The brother's eyes flashed in the low light of the room at Shu's words, a sudden burst of lightning through the two tall, thin arched windows on the back wall highlighting the animalistic nature of them.

They say the eyes are a gateway to the soul, and right then, looking into theirs, I felt the primal hunger they felt, and it caused my blood to run cold.

"Aww, Shu, you spoiled it too quickly" Ayato complained, him clearly hoping to mess with me for longer. I rolled my eyes, despite the situation.

"Oh, yes, it was him that gave it away. Not the redhead who, not after five minutes of me being here, started trying to munch on my neck." I said, raising an eyebrow at him, Ayato just flashed me a fanged grin, as if proud of his actions. Urgh. I shook my head and turned away from him, a brooding expression on my face.

"We're a family of vampires, that's all there is to it. Nothing more and nothing less." Kanato told me, nodding his head as if it validated their rude actions. They really didn't have many social skills, did they? But I suppose they were right, as vampires, they didn't have any obligation to act humane if it didn't suit them...though that lifestyle didn't help me in the slightest.

Laito seemed to try and comfort me, beginning to massage his arms, moving his hands up and down them almost in a loving manner. While my body stiffened under his touch, I heard him telling me that 'Bitch-Chan' was taking their existence surprisingly well, as most would have just ran away by now. I just cast him a curious look, cautiously saying that running away wouldn't do anything but tire me out and annoy you, since you could just teleport in front of me and grab me again, right? Reiji was visibly relieved at my comment.

"How pleasant, at least one of these girls have some sense. I can't stand the senseless screaming and flashing of crosses, that foolish act went stale a long time ago and only serves to show how arrogant you mortals can be. Though I will say your manners have still been quite deplorable and that will still need to be stamped out if you are to live here." He advised, sitting down and crossing his arms and legs, looking much like a villain from a movie. All he needed then was a cat to stroke and-

"Oi, what's the password for this thing?" Ayato suddenly spoke up, causing me to tear my gaze from Reiji to see Ayato tapping an orange Smartphone. MY phone.

I mindlessly jumped out of my seat and rushed to grab it back, not even thinking as I launched myself over the arm of the chair he sat on. My stomach was balancing on the chair arm while my legs kicked air behind me, arms outstretched to grab my phone back. But Ayato just moved his knee towards my chest to push me back, his hand stretching up teasingly so that the phone was too high for my short stature. He laughed mockingly as I stretched out my stubby limbs to reach it, failing horribly as he told me that he didn't steal it, he had just picked it up out of 'kindness'. The nouns the guys were using to describe themselves were a complete joke, it just as laughable as worrying.

I suddenly cracked a mischievous smirk as I thought of another solution to my struggle. I manoeuvred my body around the armchair until I ended up straddling his lap- an attempt to give me the perfect position to collect my phone. I wasn't the sort of girl to feel much shame at such events. I'd admit I wasn't in the most family friendly position; one hand was on his shoulder for support as I lifted myself up, my chest level with his face as he leaned back and extended his arm so the phone was out of reach, jeering at my pitiful attempts. My fingertips had just grazed the little ghost keychain attached to my phone, my breasts fully pressed against his face by this point, when a pale hand came out of nowhere and took it off of both of us.

It was Subaru.

I looked up to see his pissed off expression and instantly felt queasy. I moved away from Ayato and sat back, still straddling his lap.

"You're not going to give it back, are you?" I asked Subaru in a dejected tone, making it sound more of a statement than a question.

Subaru sneered and said he was going to…do this! _Crack_. I watched in horror as my poor phone easily succumbed to his immense strength, the touch screen nothing but a cracked spider's web. I wanted to cry. "Nooo, that phone…i-it had everything on it…do you realise what you've done!? Without that phone I can't contact…" _Her_, I finished in my mind, my hands clenching into fists.

"You were being annoying." Subaru scoffed, scowling at me as if his reason was good enough for destroying a very _expensive_ and very _important_ piece of my life.

"…Bastard" I murmured under my breath, my gaze as icy as his hair and twice as chilling as his heated glare. I was wading in dangerous waters now. "You little ba-"

"Get lost." He retorted with a sneer, walking off. I grit my teeth in frustration as my eyes lit up with outrage. I opened my mouth, ready to bloody scream at the icy bastard for taking away my only way to contact the most important person in my life. Oh god, the things I had to do to keep that phone away from the church. I'd risked a lot to hide that phone from my father. I'd thought that if I could at least keep it from burning with most of my other stuff then...

But it was all for nothing.

Laito interrupted our little confrontation by commenting we should listen to Shu's words and be friendly with each other, especially me to the 'residents of the night'. It took me a moment to realise how watery my eyes had gotten, and noticing I didn't even have the emotional energy to snap at Laito's comment, I let out a shaky breath. I quickly looked down, subtly wiping my eyes as I deeply sighed, letting out all my angry out along with it. I couldn't let them know how sentimental I was about the phone, I had to stay strong. Though my attempt at a determined expression was still ruined by the crestfallen look that continued to plague my face.

If I couldn't even hold it together over a phone, how was I to survive the vampire lair?

"You don't need something as boorish as a phone, Bitch-Chan, we can surely find more _intimate_ activities to enjoy, don't you think?" Laito added, his tone soothing. _Well, aren't you forward?_ His perverted comment effectively snapped me out of my brief funk, bringing me back to more current problems- like Ayato.

I suddenly felt something hard twitch underneath me, and after taking a few moments to realise _what _part of Ayato it actually was, I had already jumped out of his lap faster than a bat out of hell. Jesus, how big had that thing been? That wasn't even the big guy at full power... I collected myself as I smoothed my dress down, it having ridden up after the brief fight for my phone (meaning there had been _very_ little material between me and Ayato's little man...). But as I hurriedly moved away from the smirking tomato head, who had clearly been affected by the thought of said 'intimate activities', Kanato began to speak up.

"No, she should stay." Kanato said, referring to Subaru's past comment about me pissing off. "I'm already starting to become hungry…" I glanced at him anxiously as I gingerly asked him what he was going to do about it. "You really are an idiot. When a vampire says they're hungry, there's only one thing to do..." The sneer on his face quickly contorted his childish features into a face akin to that of a Chucky doll- nothing but a mask of cruelty painted onto a once cute canvas.

I let out a barely audible 'Ah!' as the sadistic shota abruptly pushed me onto the ground, wrists pinned down to my side. While Ayato began to complain that the order in which this type of thing (sucking me dry) is decided by age, Kanato began to laugh. It was a light and tinkling sound, a very sweet thing to hear coming from something so…well, _not_. Though I suppose the church had said the exact same about me at one point or another. "Hahaha, there's no such thing as that silly rule Ayato…now then, back to you, _Fufufu_. Your blood should be reasonably sweet and delicious" Kanato whispered in my ear, before moving his mouth down to press it against my neck. I could feel his fangs scraping against my skin, causing a shiver to run up my spine. Whatever anger I'd still clung onto about my phone left me the instant his fangs had grazed my neck, forcing me to realise I needed to think of a way out of _this_ problem instead of gently simmering like a pot of angry stew. I'm the kind of girl to forgive and forget anyway. "I won't leave anything behind and drink it all…Okay?"

_Ah…W-What am I gonna do?_ I was still processing the fact that vampires were real creatures, I couldn't have him sipping my blood like a Martini! It was definitely not the most dignified way to die, being pinned down by a little teenage shota as he's chomping on your neck. I needed to do something, but what? He was too strong to push away.

"N-Now wait a minute, there's no need to rush these things, is there?" I said with a nervous grin, hoping my conversational skills would be on my side today. He simply chuckled and began to lick my neck, ignoring the fact I was shaking my head from side to side. But just as he did, I noticed he had left his teddy to the side of me. I thought back to before, and remembered the way he had held it close to his chest, a tight grip on it. Thinking it was probably important to him, I quickly glanced at Kanato to see his line of sight occupied by the veins in my neck, and formed a risky plan. Deftly shimmying my hands from his grip while he stayed occupied with my blood, I subtly stretched my left hand out to grab the distantly placed stuffed bear's leg, flinging it up and away from me as best as I could in my restricted state, a grunt of effort escaping my lips at the sheer difficulty of the action. Kanato was none the wiser about me being involved in its sudden departure, even as the brown blur of the airborne fluff ball caught his attention. 'Eh?' escaped Kanato's lips, the boy suddenly sitting up in bewilderment at the fact his teddy was no longer on the floor beside him.

This gave me the perfect chance to shimmy out from under him and scramble onto my feet, quickly backing away. I had been clever and threw it so it landed on Ayato's lap, making it look like he had taken it instead of me just throwing it away. I was out of the water, for now. Kanato and Ayato began to argue, Kanato beginning to cry and Ayato shouting with annoyance, Laito walked up to me from behind and wrapped his arms around my shoulder in an affectionate hug, giggling loudly. I stiffened under his touch.

"Pff…Hahaha…Bitch-Chan, you're so interesting! Your methods of persuasion failed, so you improvised instead…I love it!" Laito complimented, watching the two brothers fight with amusement, his chin resting comfortably on my head. I couldn't help but let a small smile escape me, feeling quite pleased with myself. "Though I would prefer to see your methods of _seduction_ next time..."

While my smile immediately turned into a frown at his added comment, I noticed not everyone was as impressed with my plan as Laito. Reiji voiced with displeasure that I seemed to be the type to use chaotic methods, saying it was idiotic to do so. I felt the feelings of pride dissolve at his words, the brief feeling of safety turning stale. What was I doing? I didn't have time to give myself a pat on the back about a little prank, it wouldn't be long before they _all _would try to take me for themselves! I certainly couldn't distract them all with such a cheap trick. I shook Laito's arm off and moved to stand by his side instead, feeling too on edge under his touch.

Having finally sorted out his little tiff with Ayato, Kanato began to growl about how irritating everything it was to have a feast in front of him, only for the dining table to be annoying. Was he calling me a…table? Did that mean my blood was the feast?

"Well if you want a feast without an annoying table then you should just have a blood bag, you know, like the ones from the hospital? If it's too cold, then just warm it up in the microwave, I mean, can't be the worst thing to eat, think of it as a vampire ready meal...right?" I said with a persuasive grin, shrugging casually even while I trembled slightly with nerves.

"Haa…so troublesome. We need fresh blood from the vein or it won't work. Silly humans like you need to be tasted." Shu muttered, while Ayato called me a baka for even suggesting the idea. I pouted despite the situation, glancing down at my shuffling feet while I let out a faint _humph_ at their comments, hands clasped together behind me.

"Hmm, it's a bit sad you don't want to accept us." Laito said, pouting deeply. "The only way to fix that…is to do this, right?" Laito suddenly stood behind me, hands on my shoulders and lips on my ear. I shied away from his touch, though when I tried to move away this time, his hands tightened, an unexpectedly strong grip. "Itadakimasu~!"

I squealed in surprise as I felt his mouth open next to me, my eyes wide while I tried to twist round to smack him in his chest, failing miserably. He'd loosened his grip from his distraction of my blood though, giving me to the chance I needed to elbow him away before hastily ducking down. His mouth met air as I stumbled away from him, turning to look at him with wide fearful eyes.

"L-Look, I've only just got here, it's the early hours of the morning and I'm not in the best health right now…I'm sure my blood will taste better if I just…sleep a little first…and get my blood nice and tasty for someone of _my_ choosing, Ok?" I said, my second attempt of a persuasive smile wavering into a much more anxious one. I hoped to god my words worked…

"…Heh?" Ayato blinked in surprise.

"How displeasing. You don't even know what type of blood you possess, yet you're acting like some high class prostitute with the way you're going about giving it up." Reiji commented, disapproval lining his features. I took a step back at his accusation, muttering under my breath that I didn't think I was acting like some kind of blood whore at all, it was just a suggestion...

"Baka, I'm leaving. You guys do what you want." Subaru scoffed, turning to leave, disinterested. Ayato told him it was his loss, advancing towards me. Before I had even blinked, my bottom was touching the floor and Ayato was by my side, his teeth pressed against my neck. I tried to shake him off, but failed as Laito took a space on my other side, moaning sensually while his hand travelled to explore my chest. Before I could use my head (both literally and mentally), Kanato had taken my front side and held my chin firmly between his fingers, forcing me to look into his eerily blank violet orbs as he knelt on my legs to stop me kicking. They've taken away all my openings. I began to shake beneath the hands of the boys, feeling tears prick my eyes as fear, real primitive fear, took hold of my heart and refused to let go. It was the first time since entering the vampire's mansion that I couldn't find a way to escape, and it struck my heart in a savage way. Although I had mentally prepared myself for living with dark creatures who would most likely treat me as a punching bag, the fact they were vampires had thrown me off completely. I wasn't ready to be someone's living meal. I was scared. And worst of all, I had no _**dark side**_ to show up and save me, not his time

...what the hell did that injection do to me!?

"That's the look…" Ayato began, "...That really gets my juices flowing"

"_Nfu_, I'll partake in this feast as well~" Laito giggled,

"I want a taste, too." Kanato demanded. As my nerves were once again thrown, I could feel my _**dark side**_ suddenly rise, prickling just under the surface of my skin. _Thank god_, I thought with relief, _she's finally made an appearance._

"Boring, do whatever you want. Just hurry up and end this farce." Shu sighed, scratching the back of his head nonchalantly as he once again closed his eyes. Ayato muttered it was his pleasure, while Laito rejoiced at the news. I had just closed my eyes, preparing to use my last resort and try _forcing_ my _**dark side**_ to start, something I'd never had to do before. Normally it would have activated itself already, what the hell did my father agree to inject me with!? Wasn't the damn injection supposed to improve my powers, not weaken them!?

**Ahh, I-I can't get in control...something's stopping me from taking over...w-why? What the hell have those bastards done to me!?**

Hot tears began to roll down my cheek as I realised I couldn't do anything to run away, I had no silly little trick, I had no power. It was the first time I didn't have any control or way to fight back since my childhood.

In the space of an hour, these vampires, these princes, these Sakamaki's, had reduced me to a child again, crying for someone to save me.

I felt three separate pairs of cold breath on my neck, almost all hope escaping me. With my eyes closed and my teeth gritted, I promised myself that if I went, I would go down fighting. Just as I was about to lash out, hoping I could stop them, even if momentarily, Shu added one last piece of information that stopped both me and the boy's attack plan in their tracks.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, that person said we can't kill her, so moderate yourselves." I opened my eyes with a gasp, more tears spilling from my eyes, this time in relief. Their father said they couldn't kill me!? My mind stopped.

"…If that's true, then why didn't you say so earlier." I hissed in a venomous tone, feeling my eyes glow bright with unrestrained rage, a fierce look escaping me. Shu simply shrugged, unbothered as he told me that 'that person' wanted them to be hospitable to their guest, but it was too troublesome to say earlier. As Ayato began to complain about being courteous to some 'boring human girl', Subaru expressed his anger toward 'that person' by hitting the wall again, calling me an eyesore.

"Don't talk before speaking, Subaru. If she really is an 'eyesore' as you say, then you should just kill her now…that is, if you want to defy 'that person'?" Reiji sneered with contempt. I suppose they didn't disobey their father, 'that person', much...not that I could talk.

"I'll kill you all, one day" Subaru snarled angrily, after having stared at me for a good few moments, almost as if considering Reiji's offer. But if the girls that had come here previously didn't have that rule in place, why was their father treating me so special? It was most likely because of my powers. My father had said something about the Vampire King wanting to witness my powers when they peaked- the very reason for giving me the injection to speed up the natural process of them. It was just an insurance measure so that my abilities could be witnessed at full power before any premature deaths.

I seemed that without the 'don't kill your new housemate' rule, I would've been killed by them pretty quickly- perhaps even my very first night here.

"Boys, stop complaining so childishly, now." Reiji spoke up, causing the boys to cease complaining about the literally life-saving rule. "Although it is troublesome, we must limit our intake. I suppose, girl, you are lucky, you have your wish of getting bitten at a later date. I suggest you follow me to your sleeping quarters, quickly- before I change my mind and leave you to fend for yourself with the uncivilised triplets."

He didn't need to tell me twice. I sighed with relief, looking at the 'triplets' expectantly- even as I still shook like a leaf from the post-traumatic stress of the whole ordeal. I could still feel that my cheeks were sticky from half dried tears. Though, with the immediate danger over, I couldn't help but focus more on Reiji's last words. _Triplets?_

Ayato and Laito could've passed for identical twins, I mean, they looked similar enough, but the only feature Kanato seemed to share with them was the large ears _all_ of his brothers seemed to possess- I mean, geez, Kanato didn't _look _nor_ act _17! The creep was carrying around a teddy bear and crying to his brother about taking it, even for a vampire, he wasn't completely sane…right? I simply concluded that non-identical triplets could have two kids looking quite similar and one who was just...the weird one of the group.

Ayato and Kanato groaned disheartedly as they reluctantly let me go, giving me the room I needed to stand up on slightly unsteady legs. Laito however, revealed another unexpected reaction. Laito looked up at me, still on the floor, in a curious manner. He was staring intently at my face.

"Bitch-Chan…?" Laito murmured in surprise, making me realise he wasn't just staring at my face, but specifically at my eyes. They were currently glowing neon orange from the mix of fear and anger I felt. I hadn't even realized. When I get too emotional, my eyes would begin to glow- whether I wanted them to or not. I immediately reacted, putting my head down and hurriedly lifting my hood to shadow my face. I clumsily pushed Laito out of the way to scurry upwards. I made a beeline towards the door, to line up behind Reiji, who was already disappearing out of the room. As I fled the scene, praying that Laito didn't call me back to question the glowing, I heard him say with an amused chuckle that 'this sacrifice may not be as boring as I thought'. As his brothers asked him what he was talking about, I didn't get to hear his answer as I sullenly followed Reiji out of the room, pitifully dragging my feet as I self-consciously wrapped my arms around myself, my head down so that the hood didn't fall.

Oh god, was he going to tell them? What was gonna happen to me if he did...?

After countless twists and turns through corridors that all looked too alike (me having given up trying to remembering the path about 30 turns ago), Reiji finally stopped in front of a door that looked no different than the others. He stopped so abruptly I stumbled straight into his back, immediately apologizing as my hands hastily went up to keep my hood in place. Silently opening the door, he cast me a long, withered gaze, silence passing between us before he unexpectedly teleported right before my eyes, not even a whisper of a goodbye from him.

Oh, well for someone who spoke of rude brothers an awful lot, he didn't seem to care that he just vanished without saying goodbye…

I hardly even glanced at my room as I headed straight for my bed. I didn't even bother changing my clothes or taking off the covers, I simply slammed the door shut and sprinted to the bed. I flopped onto it and pressed my face deeply into one of the many pillows. It smells like roses, my favourite flower. Then, as if it was preparing for the right moment to overflow, all the days stress suddenly burst forth from my body- through my mouth. I screamed. I screamed for a long time. I screamed into that pillow for 10 minutes straight, barely pausing for breath even as my lungs ached for air. Though it hurt my throat intensely, I could practically feel the day's emotions leaving me, the noise expelling all the negative emotions from me in a most primal manner while I shivered uncontrollably from an unknown but deeply unsettling feeling.

Once I'd finally felt all the tension leave my body, my muscles were left with nothing but aching fatigue. Hot tears began to roll down my cheeks, slowly, then quicker, flowing down like a waterfall to splash the pillow. It was as if my emotions didn't want to give my body a break. My heart was burning with an array of mixed emotions, each one more negative than the last. It was like my body didn't know what to do with itself, so it was using every way it could to dispel such negative emotions from me.

I wasn't feeling this way just because I was now living with vampires, because the brothers were sadistic and excited to kill, or even because the vampire princes made it clear all they wanted was to use my body to drain me dry of blood and fuck me senseless…I felt this way because it was my father that had decided to rip me away from a life I'd just been starting to enjoy, to take me away just when I'd thought I could finally leave the past behind me and grow up into a positive member of society that didn't have to deal with all of the supernatural shit. I felt this way….because my father had dragged me into another problem that kept me away from the one and only person I'd ever bothered to care for, to one dear angel I'd ever bothered to open my heart to…._her_. And worse of all, it was her that was what kept me from running straight back into my happy life, because if I dared die at the hands of the Sakamaki's or escape their clutches…the church would just bring _her _here to replace me. And that poor girl, oblivious to the world of beasts, wouldn't survive very long while here.

An ugly sob escaped me, my nose streaming just as steadily as my eyes. I wasn't a pretty crier. It was strange how quickly I no longer felt comfort in that they couldn't kill me, feeling that a quick death might have eased me from the pain I would no doubt feel in the future…and I wasn't just talking about the physical pain I'd have to endure from the Sakamakis.

* * *

_**Sometimes, your worst enemy wasn't the actual people you feared, but instead your active mind which conjures up a twisted number of scenarios…that all end with you lying in a coffin.**_

* * *

_**HI! How you doing? What **__**do you think of my newest chapter? Do you like it? Or not? All opinions are appreciated ;)**_

So, yeah, this is it. My OC meeting the boys for the first time. I mixed in a little of the otome game meeting as well as the anime one, taking ideas from both, but then adding my own ideas to make this not-too-human character fit.

I hoped you liked the little flashback as well, so you know what type of parent she has, though I think all those years of freedom has given her a less twisted personality than the boys (who have some_ really_ fucked up parents...) yet her past still made her prepared to deal with supernatural creatures in her own way...

It took me a while to write this chapter as well, since I didn't know fully how my OC's personality would fit in this scenario, but then I felt that she would no doubt be more brave (but not stupidly brave) than the average human (Cough Cough, Yui), but still be afraid since she's never dealt with vampires before and she is clearly weaker than them when not in her **_dark side. _**What is her dark side you may ask? And exactly what creature is my OC? Haha, you will find out soon enough...For now, you just got a little description of her slightly supernatural look and glowing eyes ;) I had actually debated for ages which brother was going to see her eyes, but I decided Laito would be an interesting one since he would no doubt tease her about knowing her little secret constantly until the other boys noticed as well ("Eeh? Bitch-Chan, you better listen to me or else I'll let Reiji know about your little secret, hmmm?")

Also, adressing those who are confused by Ayato's comment about being the oldest- Idk if you know but I'll explain myself anyway- Ayato is the oldest triplet (with Laito being the youngest and Kanato being the middle) in a TRADITIONAL sense, not a PHYSICAL one. Even though the first to be born is Laito (who's birthday is 2 days before Ayato's birthday) and Ayato is the last, the reason the order of the triplets is switched around is because of an old Japanese tradition where the LAST one to be born is considered the OLDEST. I can't remember the Japanese's reason for this tradition (I think its something to do with how long your in the womb determining how old you are, not who's physically born first?), but that's why cordelia chose Ayato, the triplet born last, to be the heir- because in the Japanese culture, he id the OLDEST not the YOUNGEST :D

She hasn't actually chose a boy yet, so she will have an equal time spent with each of the boys and a mix of lots of original scenes from the game/anime/manga, as well my own scenes! The next chapter will be from the game/anime, but it will obviously go slighter different with 'Akako' (Did you know that the japanese name means Red child in japanese? Aren't I a genius? Haha) as she reveals more of her **_dark nature _**as well as those clever ideas and funny comments I hope to give her more of. (Tell me, did you like that teddy idea? Do you want more little *hopefully* funny skits?- Because I'm hoping to balance my story so it is just as serious and sweet, as funny and perverted)

**So please leave a review if you're feeling kind and you got a little time to show your love. I'd love to know your thoughts on the overall chapter and storyline? If not, thats fine guys cause you can alway show your support through other means ;)**

**...I of course mean following my story or favoriting it...nothing else...HONEST! :D**

**And don't forget to check out my profile for the links to the picture associated with this chapter, it'll help give you a visual for the story!**

You don't have to worry because I promise to update soon, so until then, see ya! ;)


	3. A little peck brings out the dark in me

_The dense forest floor was lost in a blanket of darkness; murky fog, purple in colour, was clinging to the tips of the surrounding grass. Through the pale light of a blood red moon, I could see that the writhing branches of bare trees stretched out to touch one another, forming an impenetrable tangle around me. It caused me to meet dead ends at every twist and turn as I fruitlessly tried to navigate through the woods, the close-knit trees working together to block my path._

**Even if I follow the toy soldiers, they won't give me the sweets I deserve.**

**Putting on a performance, a funny looking show, I'm made to march along...**

_Inhibiting my escape, I was trapped within the wilderness of the unnatural forest, my only chance of escape heard to me through the metallic grinding of cogs which filled my ears. I knew what I needed to do. Locating the sound, I clumsily trudged through the overgrown grass, finding it difficult to navigate through the thick growth, it rising all the way up to my waist. I finally made it to the metallic sound of the small toy soldiers. They had been wound up, judging by the slowly spinning keys in their back, and were walking through the forest in a group of endless amounts. They moved forward with jittery steps, little wooden shotguns strapped to their back. I rushed to follow them, joining the back of the long line they were walking in, noticing how they had somehow cut through the grass and carved a clear path through it._

W-Wait a minute, how...how'd I even get here in the first place? What is this strange place?_ I had such a heavy feeling on my mind, memories clouded and body feeling light, as if floating...it was incredibly disorienting, so much so it almost felt like the thought of following them had been planted into my head and was not thought up of my own accord._

**Consumed by thirst, I'll have a poison inside of me, made to rob me of my mind...**

_After what seemed like forever mindlessly following the toys, time a seemingly abstract concept in the place, I felt my throat flare up with a sudden pain. In my shock, I immediately ceased moving. The pain continued to spike upwards as I began to gasp breathlessly with sheer desperation, it getting increasingly harder to breathe. Even the very thought of gaining air was becoming harder and harder to bear. I started to frantically scratch at my throat, even while knowing it was futile for the action to help my internal agony. The toy soldiers however, unable to comprehend such human struggles, marched along without me, even as I cried out for their help, my hand pitifully stretched towards them._

"So…thirsty...?"_ I could feel a fire start in my throat, the heat rising up to lick the roof of my mouth and scorch my insides. I fell onto my knees, my tongue dry as I gasped soundlessly, nails digging into my skin and leaving long red marks down my collarbone._

I-Is this what it feels like? Is this feeling...the true thirst of a demon?_ But just as the thought popped into my head, the pain died down as quickly as it had flared up, my stomach no longer eating itself from the inside out, the pangs of pain slowly ebbing away...I moved to stand up, before immediately falling back down on my hands and knees again, dry heaving as nausea hit me in the stomach and constricted my gut._

_After another almost endless wave of nausea finished passing through me, I was finally convinced all of the feelings of illness had left me. I slowly opened the eyes I didn't remember closing, carefully turning my head to see no wooden soldiers in sight. I couldn't even hear their cogs turning, not even in the distance. For the first time, I was truly alone in this strange place. Shrugging off the previous pain, I shakily rose to my feet and hesitantly ventured forward – my only goal to leave the crazy place. Walking under a large spider's web, dew delicately hanging from each string as if a necklace of nature, I saw in the distance a large lake, crimson in colour. It was still, eerily misplaced even as it lay in the offbeat atmosphere of the woods. Still, it was strangely captivating to me, my eyes unable to look away from the scarlet liquid. Unable to stop myself, I found my body moving without my full consent to the river of red, which glowed grimly in the low light. I could tell right away that if I went there, I wouldn't like whatever happened next. An irrational yet powerful force of dread filled my thoughts. Worry clenched at my muscles, the unfathomable feeling of fear whirling in the pit of my stomach. Even so, I couldn't stop my movements, quickly finding myself unable to fight my current state of consciousness...almost as if I wasn't myself._

**When you finally realize it, you find out that this place is hell, not knowing it used to be heaven...**

_Bending down on hands and knees, I peered into the dreaded water. I looked over the edge and saw...nothing. Only my harmless reflection was there to greet me at the water's edge. I almost wanted to laugh at my unreasonable fright, but I was unable to muster even a smile as the sharp pangs of fear still tugged at my gut with ferocity, warning me of what was to come._

_It was then that the situation turned awry._

_I saw it. My reflection became distorted as a flash of light slashed across my reflection and made the image fuzzy. I rubbed my eyes, thinking it was only my eyesight acting up, but when I looked down again, the image had stilled. I was looking back at my reflection...only, it had changed slightly._

_The reflection still had the same orange eyes and grey hair as me, but the hair was much longer than my tomboy cut. The reflection had long hair that cascaded down her front to softly lay on her breast, two scarlet ribbons delicately wrapped around her parted hair to create two ponytails. Its fringe was the same messy and outgrown style as mine, except it had more attention to the look of it, so it was neater. It cast a dark shadow over her eyes, which seemed a tad few shades darker than my own. She looked so young, so innocent...though there was the underlying feeling of wickedness in her eyes, as if she was hiding something, something dark. I watched as a fierce smirk spread across my reflections face. Its eyes began to glow amber, a mischievous glint in them. That's when it finally clicked. It was me...when my dark side was in control. Or at least, it was me the last time I had turned into her, years ago, when I'd looked slightly different..._

_Before I could move back, something about the reflection changed. I let out a cry of surprise as my reflection took a more solid shape, it coming to life in front of me. Horror crossed my expression. Its hand, now solid, came out of the water, grabbing my wrist and pulling me downwards with sudden strength. _

"_**Come on sweetie, you know what they say…'Join the dark side' and all that"**_

_Her wicked laugh filled my ears as I tried to pull back. I struggled for mere moments before her strength won out and I toppled over, falling headfirst into the murky body of water, now faintly glowing._

_My reflection disappeared the moment I entered headfirst into the inky abyss._

_Now under the strange water, I saw streaks of blood fill every line of my sight while screams of pain were heard somewhere in the distance, the water now recognized as blood surrounded me and stained my skin the crimson colour. I suddenly felt colder, looking down with a shriek to see my clothes literally melting off of my skin, the thick red liquid of life disintegrating my clothes as if acidic._

I'm... naked_._

_The sticky red essence seemed to only affect my clothing, my skin still intact, if only slightly tingling. I fruitlessly tried to channel the thickening substance, my ragged breath leaving a storm of bubbles to rise from me as I struggled, quickly losing oxygen._

I'm weak, vulnerable, stripped bare for all to see...

**Never ever look into their big harsh eyes!**

**Never ever take their hands, only filled with lies!**

**Their wicked grip is a trap for sure, never to let you go!**

_While drowning in the ruby river, I saw a pair of hands swiftly move into my line of sight, gripping my left arm tightly and dragging, dragging, dragging me further into the depths. I flailed about wildly, hoping the pale fingers would release their grasp of me. My mind became clouded as my remaining supply of oxygen diminished even quicker, the increasing geyser of bubbles erupting from my screaming mouth prove of that fact._

_I fought back only for several more hands to grab me; greedily snatching my limbs, hair, hips and even my chest. Six pairs of hands worked together to drag me further into the darkness. When my frantic eyes finally fell on the culprits, I saw with terror that the faces the hands belonged to…were familiar._

_The Sakamaki's had arrived._

_"I'll break you." The chipper voice of Kanato stated as he grabbed one of my arms, his teddy's blank expression observing us as it floated a few feet away, its fur stained red._

_"There's my little Bitch-Chan…take a guess who it is." A sultry voice whispered, hands tenderly moving towards my heaving chest as lips settled to nibble at my earlobe. I flinched from the touch, beginning to thrash around as adrenaline hit my veins. _No, no...God no...

_"Where are you trying to go? This is the much anticipated time to scream, Chibi Koinu, so please humour us by screaming at the top of your lungs...it's not like you can get away..." Ayato chuckled darkly, one hand on the bottom of my leg as the other began to travel up my thigh..._

_I screamed._

_The force somehow propelled me away from them, up towards the only source of light in the murky red until I finally resurfaced. Treading the water frantically, I started to have a coughing fit, spitting out the coppery taste of the bloody water and replacing it with precious air, my chest heaving as I gulped greedily. Once I'd finally stopped panicking, I calmed down enough to see that the lake had led me to a well of some sort, large brick walls now circling the confined space I was placed in. I trod water for several more moments, the confined space and vast emptiness triggering the start of a claustrophobia problem I never knew I had- until the well suddenly grew dark. Tall spindly shadows cast over me. I looked up to see who was attached to the shadows, noticing that priests stood leaning over the lip of the well. They were all from the church, glaring at me with the fire of hatred in their eyes._

**Even if they knew, there is no mourning you, **

**Questioning the context, could it be so true?**

**Dead or alive, it's best to just fade away in the corruption of sleep...**

_The words filled the void in my chest with utter despair, hopelessness now flooding my veins. My mind now seemed to be fuelled by the dark thoughts swirling around me. Realizing that they were no worse than my battle with the beastial hunger of the vampires, I held my breath and let myself sink back down- just as the grubby hands of the priests began to paw at the water, sickening grins contorting their faces in a horrid way. They screamed savagely at me, even under the depths of the crimson water my ears picked up the muffled words 'sacrifice' and 'freak' within their primitive screeches. _

_The pale hands of the vampires were once again raised to anticipate my sinking body, fighting for the right to have me in their disgusting grasp. But just as I closed my eyes and seemingly accepted my fate, I opened them again as the familiar embrace of water stopped supporting my body. I was suddenly drenched with the chill of night air instead. I found I was nowhere near the sea of blood at all, but back in the middle of the forest. The overgrown blades of grass were digging into my bare back like needles._ I'm still vulnerable and bare, no matter where I am…

**My heart is lost to a place within the darkness, hidden from venomous eyes.**

**Hearing all those faceless voices, I block out their words while I try to find the hidden path.**

**Finally finding my way to the top, I cry as they push me back and watch me drop...**

_Slowly standing up from my position on the ground, still shivering from the breeze touching my naked skin, I began to hear sounds- threats, taunts and insults, all too indistinguishable to fully make out but their venomous intent clear enough. I couldn't stand it and I shouted at them to stop, childish pleading in my tone. Moving to cover my ears instead of my breasts, I began to run further into the forest to escape them, trying to find a path to leave such a terrible place._

_I froze when I found a row of bodies standing sentry amongst the trees, circling me like a flock of hungry vultures, waiting for their prey to keel over. They were all expressionless. With no actual features on their faces, they had nothing but fuzzy blobs where their eyes, ears, mouth and nose should have been, their faces no more distinguishable than the unfinished design of a dolls. The creatures, however, differed in the issue of their mutated bodies; some had wings (bat, angel or other), some had horns (curved, curled or crooked) and some had much more grotesque features I couldn't bear to describe. These people were also from the church...just not the humans that presided over it._

**Never ever look into their big, wide eyes!**

**Never take the hands of filth, full of lies!**

**They'll take everything, strip you of your rights.**

_I turned to run from them, fear clutching my thoughts as I tried to find a way out of hell, no longer able to distinguish which place that description deserved to be labelled to- the arms of the Sakamaki's or the hands of the church. I halted with a barely audible gasp as I noticed something in the distance. It was a young girl, with blonde hair and pale pink eyes, her kind smile warming me despite the surrounding chill. It was __**her**__. Tears of relief spilt from my eyes as I stared at her face, feeling that even a real angel would be considered a demon when compared to the pureness of the girl's heart. I yearned for her touch once more._

**Unable to see whoever you long for, **

**Unable to say your goodbyes.**

**I simply fall into the depths of an endless sleep...**

_I ran towards her, whispering her name as my arm stretched out to touch her, feel her or do anything to be close to the warmth of her once more. Just as I was a fingers width from her rosy cheek, my repeating of her name having turned the words into the indistinguishable jumble of prayer-like begging, the once still girl suddenly moved. Something dragged her away from me, her body bending forwards as she was dragged back with incredible force. Her mouth was open wide as she screamed for me to save her, to protect her from the invisible hands that snatched her away from me. I ran, stumbling as I screamed her name until my throat became raw...but no matter what, I just couldn't catch up to her, couldn't save her. Just like last time..._

**Everyone's just trying to take everything from you...**

**Everyone just wants to take everything from you...**

_I felt tears stream down my cheek as my efforts to catch up to her were futile, my body suddenly suspended in the air as I tripped and fell. But instead of the anticipated pain from the oncoming ground, I instead opened my eyes to be...nowhere? There was nothing but darkness as far as the eye could see, my body suspended in weightlessness while I floated gently. She was nowhere to be seen. I had lost her again._

**Dead or alive, it's best to just continue falling in a deep, deep sleep until I rot away...**

_A whisper then began to escape me, my body arching back delicately as I was filled with an unknown emotion. It flooded my body and filled every inch of me, the feeling one so familiar yet so foreign. My body somehow instinctively knew what to do even as my mind couldn't process the feeling. I embraced the surrounding darkness by stretching my arms out to the unknown, the move seemingly random but strangely filled with purpose. Words began to bubble in my chest, rising with urgency as it travelled to my waiting tongue and burst from my lips in a tone of blissful ecstasy..._

_..._

_..._

…

_**"...Bite me."**_

* * *

That was the moment I woke up. I awoke gradually, the heavy feeling of sleep sifting through my brain to slowly leave room for consciousness. I felt groggy as I sat up, a barely audible groan escaping my lips as I clutched my throbbing head, the raised limb aching with the effort.

It seemed I didn't get as much sleep as my body wanted.

I rubbed my puffy eyes sleepily, knowing without looking at them that they were bloodshot, just as I knew in that moment that my whole appearance probably wasn't a pretty sight either. My eyes were still irritated from all that crying last night, making me think that it may not have been smart on my part to have gotten myself all worked up. I'd just hoped that, with quickening embarrassment, the Sakamaki's hadn't heard my sobs.

My mind (that had been past caring the night before) was now whirling with worry about how my weakness had become even more obvious to them. Now they knew not only that I was physically inferior to them, but my mental strength was similarly as weak as well. Like a cat toying with a freshly caught mouse, I had a feeling that these boys would relish in reminding me of the tears I'd shed in this place. I shook my head, attempting to forget about such things and deal with much more glaring problems- like where the hell I'd actually slept.

The room was still dark, though it clearly closer to morning than before, the sky no longer inky black but a deep blue instead. My only source of light was the moon, coming through the two large glass double doors that I presumed led to a balcony, a silver glow being cast across the room from them. It was still night, I quickly noted, but as for how long I'd slept, I couldn't be sure. As my eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light, I was treated to my first sight of the day. Which was…pink?

I concentrated instantly once I realized I was in a strange room._ How did I get here?_ I thought of last night's events – before the crying/screaming – and faintly remembered Reiji leading me to a room before my mind became clouded with thoughts of self-pity. Oh, that's right, I was so exhausted and upset I hadn't bothered to even look at the room. It was extremely spacious, the small chandelier hanging from the ceiling adding to the extravagant feel of the room. The only problem was that everything seemed to be designed after Barbie's dream house, the colour scheme a pale pink; the large canopy bed had pink curtains surrounding the pink covers and pink pillows, the curtains covering the balcony doors were pink...even the white dressing table, which was the only thing other thing besides my bed that decorated the room, was adorned with a pink pencil holder, a pink notebook, and yes, you guessed it, pink stationery! It was nauseating to say the least, but I could still appreciate the quality of the room's décor, which was far more expensive than my old room.

All the furniture in my old hideout was limited, what I did had stained or broken in some way. The house, while massive, was an abandoned traditional Japanese home that had very much crumbled with age and lack of care. I'd slept on a dirty old single mattress with exposed springs partially covered with hole ridden sheets and pillows which had half of their stuffing missing. Pretty much everything else I possessed (mostly clothes or small electronics), while perfectly intact and fully functional, was either scrounged from charity shops or carefully stolen. If I hadn't have stolen them, I'd have been a part of a dying race- a modern day teen who didn't know how to use technology.

Buts it's not like you have many options after you run away from home. I was lucky to have found that place to live in and not spent 6 years living on the street instead. In fact, I was even luckier to have found a group that took a messed-up little kid like me all those years ago just so they could raise and teach me how to at least _act_ like a half decent human being who could somewhat integrate into society or…or god knows how I could have turned out.

Shaking away that particular train of thought, I instead focused my attention on more pleasurable things: the sensuous feeling of the expensive silk sheets as they glided over my body, the softness of the unnecessarily large amount of plump pillows behind me, the way the mattress moulded to every curve and edge of my body as I effortlessly sunk into its plushness. But despite the joy it brought me to be around such lush items, a sinking feeling welled up inside of me, constricting my heart, the more I thought of how luxurious my new life of living will be. I felt like even though the reason for me staying was for such a hellish action, even though those boys would make every other aspect of my life full of suffering and pain…I still felt as if I didn't deserve such nice things. As my fingers excitedly moved to touch and explore every glorious item of the impressive bed, I almost felt tears collect in my eyes from the sheer bliss the material item brought me.

_It's been so long, so long since I've felt…felt something so __**good**__. Maybe, regardless of my feelings toward myself, I do deserve such a divine style of life, to balance out the horrible pain the vampire prince's will cause me?_ I moved to sit up on my knees, carefully tracing the intricate Sakamaki's crest (that was engraved into the bed's large wooden headboard) with my finger, the deep and intricate grooves leaving the mahogany to look carved for a queen. I hesitantly touched the bed curtains, which were bordered with rich cream lace that seemed far too delicate and lady-like for someone like me. It made me feel so...inelegant.

The room's furniture was gorgeous, no doubt about that, but the room added no quirkiness or humbleness that lessened my awkward feelings towards staying in such a place. It didn't feel homely to me at all- more like the same surreal feeling you'd get hearing about a stray dog being allowed into Buckingham Palace to sleep in the royal corgis' bed for the night. _I feel so out of place_. I wasn't sure what was worse, the horrible dream or the colour scheme of the room.

The dream.

Of course, how could I have forgotten something so strange? It had been so distorted, so fuzzy, yet so vivid at the same time- like watching an entire movie with static blocking the screen but still remembering every little detail of the film as if you'd watched it in HD. I couldn't even understand the meaning of the strange things that hap-**A-A-ARGH!**

I felt my heart suddenly palpitate wildly and I stiffened at the pain, clutching my chest as the dream flickered through my mind like a sped up video reel. But then, just like that, the pain abruptly disappeared as if I'd imagined the whole thing, my heartbeat returning to normal even as the dream stayed freshly burned into my mind. I concluded that my body was trying to tell me something about the dream, but what it was, I couldn't say.

Though before I could really look into that train of thought, still clutching my aching chest, I realized something was wrong with the material scrunched into my fist. _This wasn't what I was wearing last night...what the hell? _Glancing down at myself, a startled expression across my face, I noticed that even _I_ was in pink. The thoughts of the dream vanished the more I studied the article, pure disbelief plastered on my face.

A lacy and semi-transparent nightgown was currently draped on my body, one that was just a tad large on me. Everybody knows that 'skimpy' and 'a size too big' aren't a good mix, and it was extremely clear in this case as well. The spaghetti straps hung limply off of my shoulders, no matter how much I pulled them up, the sweetheart neckline plunging dangerously low. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, despite the nightgown being clearly made for someone much taller than me, the damn thing barely covered my ass as the hem only brushed the very tops of my thighs!

I knew the church hadn't pack the monstrosity, that was painfully clear, but I had a feeling that the perverts of_ this _residence had something to do with me wearing it...

I sighed deeply, glancing down at my lap as I remembered my meeting with the Sakamaki's boys. Those dream Sakamaki's didn't hesitate to claw at me until they got what they wanted- I had a feeling that the boys in my dream weren't acting any different than the real ones would. Despite the fact that my chances of surviving were higher than the human sacrifices ever had, even something like me had to admit I was a majorly shaken by these creatures. I have to face the facts, no matter how much I fight, eventually one of these boys are gonna suck my bloo-

"-Oi, Reiji, you bastard! You ate my takoyaki, didn't you?" A voice rose from the floorboards, the muffled but unmistakable voice no other than Ayato, more than a little annoyed.

"Haa? Are you referring to me? Please don't make such jokes, do you really believe I would eat such a thing?" Reiji's sneering tone immediately followed. _What the..._

It was the middle of the night and Ayato decided it was the perfect time to fight over who ate his snack.

"Shut up! Who ate it then? Ahh, Kanato! Was it you!?" The accusing finger now seemed pointed to his purple haired triplet. _Urgh, why are they being so noisy? _I slowly fell back into a laying position, pulling the ends of my pillow over my ears as Ayato continued to shout in his demanding tone.

"Oi, you, the most self-centred person around here...quiet down a bit, I can't sleep like this and I want a nap." A groggy voice piped up, no doubt that laid-back one from before, Shu. Well, he was right about being self-centred- that much was clear to me and I'd only been here for, what, 4 or 5 hours at most? And most of that time was spent napping! Was it really necessary to wake everyone up for some goddamn takoyaki!? The thought then got me thinking.

Could a vampire even eat that sort of food? Was blood perhaps not the only thing they could digest? Maybe a human food was part of a healthy vampire's diet, or maybe it could be classed as junk food to a vampire and therefore was bad for them in large amounts? They'd already made it clear that _fresh_ blood was their only sustenance to effectively fight their hunger….would that mean they just ate food for 'fun'? My head was spinning with possibilities. I made a note to ask them next time I saw them eating human food.

"Is there anyone else in this house more self-centred than you? I don't think so." Subaru tainted Ayato, an air of annoyance in his tone. That comment then turned Ayato's wrath to 'Subaru the brat'. Ayato angrily accused him of stealing the takoyaki, even though he was 'just a kid', according to older brother Ayato anyway. The redhead apparently felt Subaru was capable of such an escapade and he wanted to make it perfectly clear judging by the bickering. I had a feeling at this point that Ayato's strong feelings for takoyaki were pretty much commonplace around here. "Has your damn brain overheated? You think I'd eat your takoyaki, ha! Don't make me laugh!" Came the retort from Subaru, equally as loud and aggressive as Ayato. I then had another feeling that the two hotheads had a lot of clashes like that one. Why, of all times, were they arguing now? Could I not wallow in despair in some peace and quiet? Was I no longer allowed that privilege here!? More importantly, why were almost all of the brothers awake and in the kitchen in the first place? It was the early hours of the morning, should they not be sleeping? Unless they were being typical teenagers and so held an erratic sleep pattern? _Or maybe they're-_

The eyes I'd squeezed shut (to help block out the bickering) suddenly sprang open, them wide with realisation. _Unless….unless….vampires are nocturnal? _My head buzzed with possibilities, my curious mind once again springing to life. Could the stereotypes be true, did vampires really sleep in the day and spent their nights wide awake? Most of the creatures from the church had been the sort of beasts most active at dawn and dusk, only a select few actually productive in the daytime. Although scientists didn't exactly do tests and studies on 'the sleeping pattern of the Alaskan werewolf' or something, my own intelligence of supernatural beasts made the conclusion for so many nocturnal creatures simply down to the fact many creatures couldn't be around humans and so slept in the day to avoid most of them and do whatever business they did at night, when less humans were around. This was fascinating to me, I'd already starting planning on how best to ask them if my theory was true, my mind conjuring up countless more questions for the blood-sucking creatures…well, that was until-

CLANG, CRASH, CLUNK! I bolted upright in shock at the noise, my thoughts lost as metallic sounds came from the kitchen in a chaotic explosion of noise. The noise continued for several moments before complete and utter silence abruptly befell the scene. I quickly concluded that the source of the noise was the large number of pots, pans, plates and bowls their luxury kitchen must've contained being destroyed. Someone must've thrown a tantrum and smashed a load of them as a result of their fit. Maybe it was that Subaru, he did hit the wall before, didn't he? I waited to see what would happen next, only the sound of my quickened breaths, risen from surprise, filling my ears. Just as my jolted heart finally returned to normal, shouts began to drift up from the floorboards, each different voice mingling and meshing into an even louder explosion of aggressive noise. I couldn't make out everything they were saying, but I got the general gist of who they were blaming for the mess I presume the kitchen was now in.

"You STUPID BASTARD, who the HELL do you think you are to PUSH ME!?" Subaru yelled, his gruff voice heard above the rest. "THAT FUCKING PAN HIT ME ON THE HEAD, WHAT'RE YA GONNA DO ABOUT THAT!?" I heard the faint sound of shoes crunching over the broken china no doubt scattering the floor before grunts, growls and shouts filled the air. They sounded distinctively like Ayato and Subaru's, so I could only speculate that Subaru had gone for Ayato for pushing him into wherever those kitchen supplies were (Overhead cupboards, perhaps?), and now they were having a bit of a scuffle in the middle of the trashed kitchen.

"Goodness me, Ayato, Subaru, must you always create such a scene over something so _stupid_?" I heard Reiji scold disapprovingly.

"E-eh, Ayato? Subaru? Why, why would you fight each other like that, aren't you brothers? Shouldn't you be getting along!?" Sniffle followed Kanato's strangely passive plea, so I could only assume that he was starting to cry. He reacted just like earlier when he thought Ayato had taken his teddy. What really shocked me however was what followed the tears. "SHOULDN'T YOU BE APOLOGISING TO TEDDY FOR LITTERING HIS FUR WITH BROKEN CHINA INSTEAD!? HE'S ALL DIRTY NOW AND ITS YOUR FAULT! WHO CARES ABOUT VIOELNCE AND FIGHTING WHEN YOU'VE RUINED TEDDY!? I'LL KILL YOU AYATO….YOU TOO SUBARU!" _Well…so much for Kanato being the passive one in this situation, if anything, he's just being a hypocrite- especially with death threats like that. _His screams rang throughout my ears as if he was right next to me, not a floor below. I almost felt bad for the brothers who had to hear it at a much closer proximity. His screams were high pitched, his tone reminiscent of childish tantrums. It was grating to the ears.

"Oi…could you try to be a little quieter? I'm still trying to nap" Shu's voice piped up, his tone groggy, each word drawn out. I'd almost forgotten Shu had been in the kitchen too.

The fight seemed endless, with no attempts to it being resolved anytime soon- despite Reiji's obvious attempts to dissolve the situation.

"Are these jokers kidding me? Creatures of the night, reduced to squabbling children...over some bloody takoyaki, of all things!" I mutter quietly, turning over to bury my face into my pillow. "I thought this was a haunted house, not a day care for the undead? How can vampires be so, be so..." I trailed off as I felt the bottom of the bed suddenly dip- as if someone had just sat down there.

I immediately roll around onto my back, eyes wide, hastily raising myself up onto my elbows to see a smirking redhead casually sitting on my bed. His cheerful smile completely contradicted his actions, looking at me as if he hadn't just snuck into my room unannounced and sat on my bed uninvited. It was Laito. I cast him a suspicious look, remembering his previous flirty actions and thinking that the scenario of me in skimpy nightwear on a king sized bed built for two wasn't the best setting for a pervert like him...

"Awww, is Bitch-Chan perhaps thinking we're not what you expected vampires to be like?" He questioned, his voice filled with mock disappointment. I just shot him a curious look and carefully asked him how long he'd been here, my voice still scratchy from all the screaming last night. I silently prayed he didn't notice me wincing as I realized how terrible I sounded. The small cough that had escaped me left a trail of fire that started from the roof of my mouth all the way down my tender throat. He simply chuckled. "Nffuu, oh, I've been here for a whiiiiile~"

I quickly shook off my sore state, subtly clearing my throat as I focused on the sexual predator in front of me. His carefree tone wasn't comforting. Had he been watching me sleep...or has he been here since I've been awake? It wasn't much better either way. He suddenly smirked, leaning back with one hand comfortably as he questioned my expression. I had been in deep thought- my narrowed eyes, furrowed brows and bitten lower lip must've been quite a sight for him.

"Take a guess, Einstein." I half-heartedly retorted, a small smile on my face as I shook off my previous expression to gaze closely at the vampire in front of me. I watched his actions carefully as he tilted his hat towards me. "I don't remember letting you on my bed – or let you in my room at all, now that I think about it. Why are you here?"

"Ehh? Well you just looked so sexy in that negligee I couldn't resist." He answered with charm, moving further onto the bed by slowly crawling towards me, a suggestive air to his action. He had the look of a predator in his eye, like a tiger stalking its prey. "Although, we couldn't find the right size for your petite frame. Bitch-Chan is quite the little woman, ne?" I sunk down further into the sheets to cover my severely exposed body, my leg raised beneath the duvet so that my foot could hit his chest. It succeeded in pausing his actions. A humoured grin spread across my cheeks.

"Oh, so you're a comedian, huh? Calling out my height like that, bet you think it makes you feel a _big_ man. Well I got news for you Laito…_size doesn't matter_" I joked with an airy tone, my hand darting up to cover my mouth as a giggle escaped me. I tried to be quite threatening about my answer, but I couldn't hold a straight face and ended up laughing at my own words. I was such a child- and a complete sucker for bad jokes. Laito joined in with my laughter and our giggles mingled, the vampire apparently pleased by my, as he called it, 'cheeky' answer. I quickly stopped laughing the moment he joined in, remembering the sort of company I was joking around with. I had to keep my wits about me. I had to be vigilant, not be so quick to let my guard down just in case it backfired on me…_I'll joke around with them when I'm sure it won't lead to me seeing their bad side._

"Fufufu, Bitch-Chan is surprisingly unromantic, huh?" He sighed in disappointment, his giggles stopped and a pout now forming on his lips "I'd better punish you for that later." Now then, what was I just saying about how joking with them could get on their bad side? In the end I chose to ignore the second half of his sentence, pushing him back slightly with the raised foot (that had still been on his chest all this time) and sitting up straighter in an attempt to seem like less of a pushover. It didn't stop his perverted pursuit however as he began to crawl towards me the moment I put my foot back down. _So goddamn persistent...that's the worst trait for a pervert to possess._

My eyes darted across his face as I studied his features closely, tilting my head ever so slightly. I had always been too curious for my own good and even though I knew the Sakamaki Princes weren't the best vampire's to study, I almost couldn't resist to temptation to discover and explore these fascinating creatures. My intense curiosity was almost an addictive drug for me, a feeling that filled me with such delight even if it could land me in dangerous situations. What thought kept creeping out from the back of my mind was what could happen if I explored too deep…._I might not like what I find._

"You still haven't answered my question, you know- about why you're here." I reminded him, shaking away my worries as I tried to focus on the current situation. Every word from his lips surely can't have some hidden, perverted meaning, could it? Laito sighed deeply, pausing his crawling to answer me.

"Ah, sorry, sorry. The reason is... because I wanted to feel you breathing? So I could get to know you better, maybe?" He murmured smoothly, eyes shut and a smile playing on his lips. I got the sense he was talking more to himself than me. "No, that's wrong, more than wanting to feel your breath, I want to...feel that you're a living person, you know? Fufufu~" He finally answered, opening his eyes just so he could finish with a wink.

The flimsy answer held no real meaning, and it only succeeded in confusing me more. Tilting my head at him, words began to tumble out of my mouth, a bewildered expression crossing my features.

"Huh? What are you talking about...?" I mumbled, my eyebrows knotting together in confusion, before my eyes lit up with delight and a brief laugh escaped me. Unable to stop the small smile of amusement crack through my (supposed to be) deadpan expression, the tiniest giggle left my mouth and filled the air. The weird (_cough, cough_, perverted) way he talked was quite funny to me, and despite the fact my mind should've been screaming at me to stop laughing at the dangerous vampire, I was far too stupid to think such normal thoughts. Instead, I couldn't help but focus on anything but how silly the vampire acted. "You're...You're really weird, you know that?" But my amused tone soon turned to surprise as a cold hand snuck under the sheets to be placed on my bare leg. "Hey….y-you're really cold, you know?' quietly escaped my lips, finding myself no longer being the one laughing. Oh right, yeah, he's a vampire trying to suck my blood...

Why must I always be so forgetful?

The fedora freak simply laughed, light heartedly calling me an idiot for pointing something out like that. He then added that I'd have to put up with it since he was a cold-blooded vampire, and his body couldn't be as hot as a warm-blooded human girl like myself. When I pointed out, with a nervous chuckle, that he could just, you know, _not_ touch me, I was surprised to find out he planned to _**embrace**_ and _**make love**_ to me, so the no touch rule was impossible to uphold. I just stared at him after he said those words, disbelieve written all over my face. _Oh god, I think he's being serious…playtime's over._ I immediately flinched from his cold palms and kicked his hand away, withdrawing my legs towards my body hastily. I gave him an accusing stare.

"There's nothing to be scared of, after all...it's not like I'm planning on doing anything to you_ right this second._" That was Laito's only reply to my actions, the insufferable smirk from earlier still plastered on his face. I cautiously asked him what exactly he planned on doing to me right now then, my eyebrows furrowed as I noticed him crawl right up on top of me. He was so close, I could feel his cold breath mingling with my own warm one. "Nffuu, about those things...it's still too early for me to tell you, of course." He whispered, moving his hand back on my leg, sliding it up so that it now rested on my bare thigh. I took a sharp intake of breath, my body tense. I resisted the urge to slap it away, curious to see how far he would go before I had to intervene. I was testing to see if the vampire was bluffing about sleeping with me or not. "Still...if Bitch-Chan says she's interested in it, then I'd be okay with teaching you a little bit..." I felt him squeeze my thigh lightly on the final word, his freezing hand causing heat to rise where it lay. I immediately shook off the excitement his words and actions brought me, trying to forget how long it had been since I'd had some…_**physical**_contact. _Besides, I've never been intimate with a man before, maybe it's completely different to what I'm used to, I've only ever been with…_

I stopped myself mid-thought, my resolve hardening. I couldn't sleep with them, I couldn't put myself in such a vulnerable situation with them until I could trust them enough not to kill me.

"I don't think so, buddy..." I lightly scoffed at Laito's words, gently pushing his hands back and shuffling to the edge of the bed, away from the advancing sexual predator. Laito also moved, crawler closer to me the more I moved away- like some childish game of tag. Unfortunately, I was so busy locking my wide eyes with Laito's lust-filled ones...I forgot exactly where the end of the bed was.

...THUD.

I fell. Hard. I'd fallen straight onto my rear, my legs still raised due to the fact the soles of my feet still rested on the edge of the bed. My left hand still tightly gripped a fistful of bed sheet, bed sheets that had now spilled across the floor. The right one now clutched the back of my head tenderly. I was 98% sure Laito had gotten a look of me that hadn't left much to the imagination. I groaned internally as I realized I'd embarrass myself not only due to my clumsiness, but due to the lack of modesty the action caused as well.

I felt a small rush of heat rise to my cheeks as I slammed my legs back together, scooting back so they were off the bed and tucked against me. Clumsily pulling up the stupid nightgown, I realised with increasing embarrassment that the neckline had plunged so low he'd gotten a generous peek of my chest as well as a direct panty shot. I was wearing my childish bra and panty set, cartoonish skull and crossbones printed all over them. Smoothing down the sides of my nightgown, I gazed at him sheepishly, silent in my response to him as my cheeks filled with faint colour. Shaking my head to rid my cheeks of their rosy status, I tried to direct his attention away from my 'assets'. "Ok...whatever you saw, let's just say it was a leaked sneak peek for any _possible_ future plans, okay?" I awkwardly joked, shaking my head slowly- even while I still tried to hide the coy little smile on my face. "Because you won't be seeing it again for a _looong _time- if at all, got it?"

Laito burst into a fit of giggles, his laugh loud and high pitched as he threw his head back, his shaggy mane flying up behind him wildly as his shoulders shook violently. His Fedora nearly fell off with the intensity of his humoured state. I just watched him silently, forced laughter quietly leaving me as my coy little smile turned into a more cautious one. Eventually, I cast my eyes downwards in embarrassment, still trying- and failing- to shake the event away as a joke. Laito, wiping his tear-filled eyes, finally stopped laughing to look at me once more, eyes hooded seductively. My eyes raised once more to meet his, my cheeks colouring slightly at the direct gaze. He jumped off of the bed to join me on the floor, him crawling on hands and knees while I stayed kneeling, hands clenched into fists as they rested on my lap. I could tell that the lust within him had spiked considerably. _Oh god…_

His voice full of amusement, he told me that even as I say that, my face looks as if expecting some sort of _immediate_ reaction from him, was I just playing hard to get? Before I could retort, I noticed that he was suddenly much closer than he was before, his hands swiftly engulfing my slender wrists before I could move away. I shrieked as he toppled me over, my strength no match for his vampiric one. He forced me onto my back, my arms pinned above me while his legs were spread either side of my body to keep my legs from kicking out. I could feel his hips pressed against mine. He had effectively pinned me to the floor before I had even blinked. _What the…s-so fast!?_ He continued to tease me, his voice as smooth as silk. "Come on...tell me the kind of things you want me to do to you. It's finally time for some action, you know?"

Oh no, not like this...I refuse to let you do this kinda shit to me after only one night...

"You really want to know what I want you to do to me?" I piped up, suddenly pausing my efforts of wiggling out of his grasp to flash him a cheeky grin. He let out a low chuckle, murmuring that he'd do anything for his Bitch-Chan, his jade eyes looking deep into mine. I then stretched my neck to whisper in his ear "I would really appreciate if you could move this to another time, I'm not really in the mood tonight. Sorry, it not you, it's me, you're just not my type, that's all!" My cheeky grin only widened as I finished my little passive aggressive rant.

**Creepy, persistently pervy, fedora freaks just don't really get my juices flowing, you know?**

_Oh great, look who decides to show up now,_ I thought miserably_, as if I didn't already have enough on my plate- the voice in my head makes its fantastic return, as snarky and crude as ever!_

Laito simply let out a low chuckle at my pretty feeble attempt to deflect the situation, quickly quelling my new risen struggling with his forceful hands. He continued to press my wrists to the floor with expertise, only this time, with a severer amount of pressure. It didn't cause any serious damage, he was clearly still holding back his strength, but it certainly hurt quite a bit.

I huffed in annoyance as I laid my head back down, my chest rising and falling with exhaustion, my lower lip jutting out stubbornly. My strength had failed me and my endurance had worn out. He's done this- forcing himself onto woman until he got what he wanted- too many times to leave any chance for escape. The thought of this being a regular occurrence for him brought bile to rise in my mouth, the thought sickening me. Still, I forced it back down and focused on the situation. He paused his chuckling as he put one hand over my chest, the other now holding both of my wrists over my head and to the ground with ease. Now he was just mocking me! Using only one hand was just insulting to my strength…

He gently pressed his palm against my severely exposed chest (Due to the stupid negligée), teasingly asking me why my heart was beating so fast, even though I denied I ever wanted to be in this situation. It was as if my heart had heard his words because it suddenly thumped wildly, its action echoing his words perfectly. I felt blood rush to my cheeks, red painting them once again. I had to get out of there.

I threw my body up wildly, knocking his hand away from my chest, my burning cheeks finally dying down as the sensation of his chilled touch disappeared from such an intimate place. Surprising, he actually sat back, giving me room to get back up again. I knew it wasn't my strength that made him move…it was his own choice. _He's got another motive up his sleeve, he didn't do this out of the kindness of his heart._ We were now sitting face to face, I sat on my knees while Laito sat with his legs crossed. My cheeks showed only the slightest, faintest hint of red now- even though we were still undeniably close. I could feel his cold breath on my cheeks. But although I couldn't stop blushing at these sort of events, I still refused to let the squirmy feelings of embarrassment affect my level-headedness. I muttered some meagre excuse about my frantically beating heart with a forced smile, saying I simply had a medical condition.

We both knew I didn't. Hell, even when my heart did act strangely erratic, my hammering chest certainly wasn't a symptom of a human problem...

Laito sighed wistfully, rambling airily about how even though Shu warned him...just imagining the blood that my heart was sending throughout my body was just too exciting to ignore. The look of pure elation on his face as he uttered that sentence was unnerving to say the least, causing me to suddenly break my eye contact with the man to stare at the floor, a wary expression crossing my face. I wasn't sure if I looked away because of fear or embarrassment, but the desire to understand this weirdo is what kept me rooted to the spot, eventually giving me the courage to look back up at him when my heart had decided to slow down a fraction. No, not weirdo. Vampire- A creature who drinks the blood of others to survive. I thought that fact with conviction, warning myself never to forget it, no matter what.

I couldn't dwell on the thought for too long though as the feeling of something warm was felt on the nape of my neck, immediately snapping me back to the reality of the situation.

He had just...licked me. Urgh, not this again. I began to wiggle under his new embrace, his hands now holding onto my shoulders and pulling my neck towards his head, my own not at an awkward angle. I groaned in frustration under the new hold, my hands clenching into fists as I struggled to move my arms up between my chest and his, my fists now pushing forcefully against him. I cringed as his grip on my shoulders tightened. I couldn't push him away, and I couldn't move from my kneeling position. His soft groans filled my ears as his tongue paid extra attention to a particularly big vein in my neck, the moist, fleshy appendage yearning for the blood flowing in my veins. I tried to tell him to stop, my light hearted and jokey tone laced with frustration as he simply kept cutting me off and saying I really wanted the opposite of what I said.

**No, you fucking moron, not everyone speaks in riddles likes some sort of troll under a bridge!**

I shook my head in an attempt to rid the voice in my head and more importantly, the tongue on my neck; its movements slow, steady, and teasing. It felt much too intimate an action for something that lead to a much more animistic one. _Is this like, vampire foreplay? A little teasing before the bite?_ I instantly felt nauseous at the thought.

My mind really must stop thinking about such strange things...

While my mind's focus shifted to furiously searching for some way out of his grasp, Goosebumps appeared on my neck as he began to lick more urgently, getting increasingly closer to the ultimate action. I had just began shivering, getting frighteningly desperate to find an escape route, when the echoing tolls of a grandfather clock suddenly rung throughout the mansion. The sound travelled through the endless number of corridors and into my room. I didn't think much of it, but the sound did bring surprise (and disappointment?) to Laito's face, which I could see from the corner of my eye. He leaned back slightly, sitting up straight as he looked to the door with eyebrows furrowed with frustration. The sound had stopped him assaulting my neck. Why did he stop? What did that bell mean? Was lunch-time over or something?

"Nnn, too bad. It's already that time, huh? Bitch-Chan, the continuation of this...will have to be at a later date, ok?" He muttered gloomily, a pout on his lips.

"Huh? Wait a minute, what does that bell mean? What time is it? Where are you going? Are you just going to leave me he-" I was cut off as Laito suddenly moved toward me, swiftly leaning forward and pressing his lips against my own in a farewell gesture, gently leaning back to mutter in bemusement-

"Ahh~ such a curious Bitch-Chan, ne?"

I froze at the surprise attack, feeling so incredibly violated despite it only being a peck. His lips had barely brushed mine, it had been so quick, so sudden, I wouldn't have had a chance of predicting his actions beforehand...I-I couldn't even feel them...I only knew what he was doing because I saw it rather than felt.

...but even so, it was my first ki-, my first ki... k-ki...

It was the first gesture of affection _from a man_ that I'd ever had to deal with. He'd stolen that moment from me, and I could never get it back.

I touched my lips hesitantly, which were trembling from the trauma they'd endured, my eyes wide as I stared at the grinning boy, so unfazed by his actions. As the shock slowly dimmed down, the numb feeling I felt inside began to burn, the beginning of a wildfire catching within me and spreading through my body with untamed rage. I could feel my eyes glowing pure amber, the boiling anger I felt directed at no other than the carelessly 'affectionate' boy in front of me. The only part of me now numb was my mind, which blanked out, nothing but a red haze covering my vision. Why would the bastard do that!? Sure, you could argue I'd been in much more intimate positions with him several minutes prior to the kiss, but there was a different sort of intimacy applied to such a delicate action, a warmth and emotional vulnerability that made kisses too meaningful of an action to just carelessly do it. Those were my beliefs, and it was those reasons I could stand Laito pinning me to the floor in some suggestive position and not bat an eye but the moment he moves to assault my lips and not my body…I felt agitation tug at my mind.

**Well yeah, why do you think some prostitutes do some downright nasty ass shit with their mouths for money but if the client asks for a make-out session they usually decline and say they don't allow kissing? Makes you think, don't it?**

I refrained from telling the voice in my head to disappear. I was too focused on Laito to question her comment.

"W-What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you do that?" I yell at Laito, rubbing my lips fiercely as if to rid the very memory of them touching his. "You stupid, stupid-ARGH!" I glared at him as I shoved him away from me, my eyes unearthly glow even more prominent in the low light of the room. I rose to my feet, glaring down at him with untamed fury.

Laito's own eyes sparked with delight at the light display mine were giving, making me remember all too well that he had been the only one to notice the same thing happen to them last night. The smug look on his face quickly snapped me back to my senses, my anger pushed to the back of my mind as rationality sunk in.

Shaking my head as I struggled to blink back the glow in my eyes, I finally felt the brightness of them gradually fade until they were the usual dull orange again, a sigh of relief escaping me as I glanced at the vampire not with anger, but worry. Laito seemed visibly upset to see them go neutral once more, the sadistic boy having enjoyed my conflicted expression greatly. I could still feel it within me, my anger, simmering just beneath the surface, ready to bubble over again.

I need to keep it at bay or else...

"Eh, Bitch-Chan? Why'd you stop? I was enjoying your little eye trick oh so much, almost as much as witnessing the anger in them. Fufufu." Laito playfully commented, moving to lean on the edge of the bed, a smirk playing on his lips. I stared at him with shock at the comment, not sure how to reply, before I shook it off and tried- very, very hard- to calm my quickening pulse.

I began to pace the room, feeling my fingers itching to grab something- someone- and choke them mercilessly. _Oh no, it's starting.._. I could feel my thoughts darken, just as I felt that familiar rush of energy to start pumping through my veins. It was her, my _**dark side**_\- the one that loves to pop up in my mind with her snide little comments as if some sort of comedic commentator of my life. Only now, she wanted to do more than comment on my life, she was wanting to _**control **_it. _I thought she couldn't control me anymore? _I hadn't felt her presence like this, with such power and strength, since that little werebeast found me back in the woods. Only the funny little comments from her last night and now had given me any indication she still resided in the depths of my mind at all. She couldn't help me earlier, when I'd desperately needed her to the stop the triplets...but now I could feel it returning. I suddenly knew the reason for the unusually strong anger and hot-headedness I felt.

I...need...to...relax.

I paused my walking, stopping in front of Laito and opening my mouth as if to say something, before closing it again and shaking my head, starting to pace again. Laito continued to watch me pace with an amused smirk, patient, silent. Though his eyes, currently hooded with desire, told me his thoughts as easily as if he'd told me them from his mouth. I tried to relax my tense body. Finally feeling the silence wasn't helping situations, I paused to stand in front of him once more, my voice attempting to be casual, light hearted.

"J-Just, just forget about my eyes or whatever you saw, ok? Because it was nothing but...a...a...a trick of the light, right? Hehe…" My tone came out unsteady and the desperation on my face was undeniably clear. Who was I even trying to kid? I knew I couldn't deny what he saw, but still, I clung onto the fact that he didn't care about what my glowing eyes meant...or what I was.

Besides, if my father had been right about my power's capabilities changing once I turned 16...then I was more in the dark than even these vampires. Of course, that didn't mean I would let them know of my insecurities- I can't just lash out and use my power on them for every lick or nibble. It was too risky. I was 98% sure I was nowhere near as strong as the vampire princes, after all, I was, once you stripped down my unnatural attributes, human. My body and mind were typical of the average teenage girl, the powers (and my dark side) were simply an attachment forced onto me since birth. No one has ever been able to explain to me why I have the gifts I do, or give a name to what I am, but if those dark creatures from the church have taught me anything, it's that I am more human than not, even if to humans themselves...I am far from it.

"Hmm, why try to hide it from me, Bitch-Chan, when I saw it clear as day the first time we met? Even though my brothers didn't catch it, you can't hide such a talent from someone like me~" I chose to be silent at his comment, staring at him wide eyed as I tried to still my quivering lip. My powers were a sensitive subject for me, and it wasn't something I could ever really laugh away- like I tried to do with everything else in my life. "Oh, what's the matter? If you're worried I've told them your little secret last night, then you don't have to worry your pretty little head- I kept it our little secret..." I didn't like it, I didn't like it at all. It all seemed too goddamn smug for my liking, as if he'd already won. He simply laughed at me, saying my pouting expression made me look so cute.

"I don't care, I think it's time you just leave...please" I muttered quietly, trying to fight back the tears that pricked at my eyes, staring at him expectantly. It was hard to sound threatening or say something with conviction when you finish the command with 'please'. Laito seemed to think the same way. He stood up, casually shrugging as he told me to just give up because the moment I let him see me like that, I had opened a forbidden door.

I just tilted my head in confusion, eyes wide, not sure what he meant – but I knew in my heart that I wouldn't want to be behind that door. I'll do anything to barge my way back through it. Before I could say anything though, he smugly warned me to be careful about when I reveal myself, as his brothers might not be so open to my differences.

I took in a sharp intake of breath at that comment, having been thinking the same thing earlier. I might become disposable to them if they think the food is...'damaged'. "I...errm…" I had no reply to give, simply staring at Laito with a wavering gaze, unsure what to do. For me to trust Laito was like a rich man trusting a thief with his money. I shook my head to dispose them of my worries, putting on a brave front. "...don't see how that matters, what are you going to do with this information? Tell them my eyes are a good flashlight for when the candles run out?" I finished with a wide grin, as if I didn't care what he did- even if the truth was far from it.

Laito simply tilted his fedora in my direction, playfully telling me that we should just keep the little secret between us as he'd feel jealous if the other brothers found out about me. I refrained from shuddering, simply staring at him with the same hesitant gaze as before. Either way, I'm gonna have to keep my powers a secret until I'd spent some more time with them, so that they didn't kill me on the spot for being an troublesome sacrifice...

Taking my silence as a sign of agreement, he started to talk about how fun it was having only him know about how 'special' his new Bitch-Chan really was, that I should just forget my previous life because after he gets a glimpse of my body and soul... I'd become a resident of the night. I wasn't really concentrating on his whimsical words though, more concerned about the fact he was slowly walking towards me again. A lion, inching towards the zebra. It was unnerving, but I wasn't backing down again. My now steady gaze soon stopped his advances, the lion pausing at the unusual actions of his prey.

"Nfu, it's not bad, that strong look in your eyes...it's giving me chills." Laito murmured in appreciation, his sly smile and flushed cheeks giving him a very lewd expression. I let out a shaky sigh of relief, my show of strength having actually worked to push his actions back- though my guard was still up as I noticed the glint of mischief in his eyes. "Now then, it's time you tell me all about those powers of yours, you must have more than that, surely? Though first you must change and get dressed, of course, we are running out of time and I want to spend as much as I can with my special little Bitch-Chan before I must depart~"

Erm...what was that last part? I didn't hear that correctly...right? Right!?

"E-eh? You want me to take my clothes off while I tell you all my dirty little secrets? Like some stripper going through a midlife crisis!?" I chuckled with disbelief, shaking my head in bewilderment at the thought. Laito simply ushered me to hurry, sauntering towards me as his jade eyes sparked with excitement. I felt a cold chill crawl go up my spine at the expression, putting me on edge as the laughing grin melted from my expression. His voice was light, teasing; correction, his voice _had_ been light and teasing, until Laito suddenly decided he was no longer playing this bickering game with me any longer.

Something inside of him finally snapped and my disagreeing was no longer amusing, but annoying.

_**"Bitch-Chan, if you continue to be unreasonable then I'll become quite… angry, you know?"**_

The way his voice suddenly dropped caused me to flinch, my brave act vanishing the instant his mocking and giggly tone turned so...emotionless. It caused fear to spike my heart, palms suddenly sweaty as I gripped the sides of my nightgown so tight my knuckles became pale. I had unleashed something inside of him, something dark. I silently prayed for him to stop moving towards me, his saunter having turned into a more dominating stride. I don't like this side of him.

**I think I prefer the disgusting pervert over such a...such a cold beast.**

He continued to speak in such a cold tone, telling me,_** "Hurry up and start taking your clothes off."**_ It wasn't a request, it was an order.

I took a sharp intake of breath at his bold words, my eyes wide in shock. I hadn't expected him to suddenly change his personality like this...I needed to act. Now!

I glanced everywhere but directly in his eye, scrambling for something to say- until my eyes locked onto the bottom of the bed as I noticed a small wheel sticking out from underneath it. I looked back to Laito with a grin.

"I'll, I'll….get right to it! I-I just need to get some clothes ready, you know, something nice and sexy just for you, hehe" My nervous smile and anxious chuckles seemed to go right over his head, Laito not questioning me at all. I quickly bent down, pulling the suitcase out from under my bed and starting to rummage through it as though I was getting clothes out for the task he asked me to complete. I was really buying time. When Laito's snickers were heard behind me, the accompanying shuffling telling me he was appreciating my bent over position, I found my shoulders slouching as if a great weight had been lifted from them. He was back to his old self, at least for now. I just have to make sure he didn't digress back into that side of him again, no matter how brief

**Yeah...it freaked me the fuck out, that's for sure.**

I made a mental note that as easy going as Laito seemed compared to the other brothers, there was only so much time before even Laito wouldn't allow my 'rebellious' attitude to continue...

I wiped the excess sweat from my palms onto my nightgown, grabbing a random T-shirt and jeans and making sure to sneakily place some aerosol spray in-between them. It was a terrible weapon, but it was all I could find on such short notice. If I could spray it into his eyes, I should be able to run for it, right? Or would it not cause stinging to vampire eyes? I didn't know, but I knew to only use it as a last resort anyway- it wasn't like I had anywhere to run to, and using it on him in such a way would probably piss him off. I turned to face him, my back now to the bedside, where I'd placed the clothes and the concealed weapon behind me. I grinned contently. I now had a plan.

I faced him somewhat bravely, steadily asking him how he would like me to strip, since he was the one who would enjoy the act so much. I was really setting my trap.

Laito briefly hummed in thought, forefinger and thumb under his chin, before clicking his fingers with resolve and cheerfully telling me to change slowly, so he could enjoy the painful embarrassment on my face for longer. I nodded my head slowly before turning around so my back faced him, as if shy. It was really because my face was pale from the way he'd casually told me he got pleasure from degrading girls. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing my reaction.

I had just grabbed the bottom of my nightgown (inching it upwards at a snail's pace while my mind raced for a solution), when Laito suddenly appeared behind me, unreasonably close.

I let out a squeak of surprise, almost dropping the aerosol spray I had just sneakily picked up in the process of lifting my nightgown. I hurriedly clutched the aerosol can against my chest and froze, curious to see what Laito would do while still feeling somewhat safe with the cool aerosol can in my palms. Thankfully, he had his eyes closed, so he didn't notice it in my grasp. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to rest against him, gently pressing his lips to the back of my neck as a quiet moan escaped them. _**"I'll fully...from your head to your toes...give love to you, Bitch-Chan."**_The fear of my fate with these blood-sucking creatures had already begun to make my heart drum against my ribcage with a passion, but now that I was facing the great strength of something worse than bloodlust...their _libido_...my nerves were becoming much more antagonised than if they were simply trying to suck my blood.

It was that side of me again, my _**Dark Side**_ surfacing because of the danger surrounding me. It was like a supernatural immune system, protecting me against the diseased minds of the vampires. I just didn't understand what the hell was happening to me... had the injection dimmed my _**dark side's**_ powers or had it just made it harder to activate? Was this what my father had meant by my powers changing- was that side of me becoming tamer, or just waiting to unleash its power in a different way? My thoughts of the power humming beneath my skin suddenly stilled however as I felt Laito's fingers brushing against the elastic of my cotton panties, one hand on each side of them, gently pinching them between his forefingers and thumbs. He was preparing to pull them down.

I couldn't move.

I couldn't breathe.

I was spacing out...and another part of my mind was taking over, in rage of the invasion of personal space.

_Calm down...calm down...calm down...calm do- ahhh fuck, NO!_

My heart suddenly beat furiously, this particular 'Ba-Dump' sending an intense throb of pain from my heart to the rest of my body. It took all my willpower to even stand up straight, let alone muffle the gasp of pain that escaped my lips. Before I even knew what was even happening, I felt my grasp on reality slip...and I could feel my mind falling, falling, falling into darkness...complete, utter darkness...

**Ahh, that's it, you just stay back for a little bit. I don't know what the fucks been happening between us, but while I've got the chance, I think I'll meet these 'vampires' for myself...**

_N-No, wait..._ I weakly thought, before I completely lost control of my body, power flooding into my muscles as my _**dark side**_ took over. She now had control of my body.

She, no, an easier explanation would be to refer to that side of me in first person- though keep in mind that this had been a different side of me controlling my body, and none of the actions or words I'd spoken were with my consent. In the moment, when my _**dark side's**_ had been in control, I'd been nothing but a spectator.

I threw my arms to the side, knocking Laito's hands away from my hips, cheeks dusted red from my riled up state. I turned to face him, my expression much darker than before, a shadow cast over my eyes.

**"I'm not playing this game with you, Laito. Get off of me. Now."** I was livid. My tone was full of venom, the words hissed at him, like a python preparing to strike. My eyes were no longer just glowing but _burning_ bright with anger – all directed towards Laito. I could feel my blood boiling, literally getting hotter and hotter under my skin, as if lava was now running through my veins.

_It was my power, now awoken because of my __**dark side**__ coming out of hibernation, me having always been unable to fully unlock that power on my own. It was when my __**dark side**__ took control that I possessed strange powers..._

Losing control was the price I had to pay to protect myself.

Laito stepped backwards, shock etched into his face at the sudden strength of my voice; which had caused him to lose concentration and allow my weak (at least to a vampire) push actually affect him. He stumbled backwards and landed on the floor with a dull thud. I walked towards him slowly, carefully, as if he was now the prey, and I was the proud lioness stalking him. I stood over his fallen form, now sprawled across the floor, angry, my eyes glowing proudly. They were narrowed and directed at the perverted vampire.

_If I'd have a mirror, I would have realised in that moment I wasn't myself, I was no longer Akako, but a darker side of myself. My __**Dark side**__ turned me into someone else, a beast of sorts, and right now, that side of me wanted nothing more than to slit that bastard's throat open for touching my body without consent. I didn't even care about the kiss anymore, it paling in comparison to the much more painful and violating action he was about to try. My __**Dark side**__ wouldn't dare let that much more...__**intimate**__ part of me be defiled. She demanded payback for him getting so familiar with our body. I could sense her evil intentions in my mind, which at the moment shared both my own thoughts and hers._

Would Laito spill blood for his actions?

Sitting on his rear, he looked up at me with a new expression, one I hadn't had the pleasure to see on him before. Awe. True and pure disbelief formed in Laito's eyes, swirling with newfound respect for me. **"I'm not your little Bitch-Chan anymore."** I growled at him, my chest vibrating slightly from the animalistic noise. My eyes were alive with colour, neon amber lighting my otherwise dark expression.

Right now I felt empowered, right now I felt strong. Right now- I could try to kill Laito and feel no remorse about it. I guess I was finally about to give Laito exactly what he wanted– a glimpse of my true self. I had used my shoulder to knock him down, and the rise in temperature of my blood had started to heat me up, especially my hands, which were clenched into fists at the side of me. My left hand however still held the aerosol can, me too preoccupied with Laito to notice it was still in my grasp...

Laito was staring at me as if I was an angel, or perhaps a demon- depending on which held more praise in Laito's mind- pure elation set into his features as he stared at me wide-eyed, star struck. I thought he would be angered by my reckless _**dark side**_, but he seemed to be..._aroused_ from it? Did the dominant Laito not always like being in power...was there a masochist underneath his playboy personality?

"Bitch-Chan, you look a-" I didn't know what Laito was going to say next, most likely some praising comment by his hushed tone, but his words were cut off as a _tssss_ sound filled the room. Despite the disturbance being small, my mind wasn't clouded enough to realise what happened when an aerosol can heated up. As expected, that poor can couldn't handle the heat radiating from me for long. When I glanced down at my hand, I saw that my fingers had created a small dents in the can, due to the heat of my fingers, barely visible wisps of steam floating up and disappearing like little ghosts. The can had finally cracked under the heated pressure of my grip- my blood having heated up my body to an unnatural temperature. I quickly looked to Laito, who was most likely thinking the same thing as I was, and I sneered in annoyance.

**Oh fuck, this puts a dent in my plans...literally. I'll have to make the appearance of my true powers at a later date.**

**"Sorry **_**Bastard-Kun**_**, I guess this is where we part. I won't be back for a while, so take good care of that side of me while I'm gone, got it? I'll be watching, you slimy bastard..."** That _**dark side**_ of me flashed him a secretive smirk, before throwing the aerosol spray can in the air just as it exploded in a rage of fiery amber. With her time with the vampire cut short, another shot of pain struck my heart and I collapsed to the floor in pain, my mind rushing back to be the main pilot of my body once again. My _**dark side**_ was nowhere to be found. She must have gone back into whatever part of my mind she came from...I briefly wondered if the injections was still messing with my powers. She hadn't been nearly as aggressive as previous appearances- she hadn't even gotten a chance to use our true powers!

I could feel the energy dissolving from my blood, my body slowly, gradually, returning to normal...well, normal for me. With my mind no longer wading in the dark recesses of my mind, I quickly looked up to witness the mess my _**dark side**_ had made, still gasping deeply from the painful rush of energy it took for my body to change so suddenly.

The flames licked the ceiling and the light from the angry ball of fire blinded me, causing me to close my eyes once again and cover my face with my hands, still in my kneeling position. I felt the heat and light even through my closed eyelids, and as I moved my head down to further protect my face, ash from the explosion still fluttered down to greet me. The explosion finally died down, and once I was completely sure there was no more after-sparks, I slowly moved my arms away to see the damage. My eyes were wide and unblinking as the reality of the damage stared me right in the face.

Although the explosion hadn't started a fire within the mansion, it had still left a blackened patch of ceiling that had been charred from the force of the explosion. I glanced to the side of me to see something crumbled and charcoaled beside my foot, and after nudging it slightly with my big toe, I realised with a groan that it was the aerosol can, or at least, what remained of it. _Oh god...all of this destruction... _I dreaded to think what would have happened if my _**dark side's**_ thoughts of revenge had actually happened, her violent plans having swirled in my mind alongside my own. If that aerosol can hadn't exploded...she would have shown him my true power. The outcome most have most likely resulted in my death, probably from the hands of an irritated Laito not appreciating the fight.

Why can't she, that side of me, understand we aren't as strong as them? We need to be at least mildly obedient...dammit, do you hear me!?

…

Silence was my answer. It was nowhere to be seen, that side of me. Normally she could still talk to me, so I knew immediately it was the injection that was causing silence on her end of the line. I was now back to normal, reaping the consequences of allowing myself to lose control and let my _**Dark Side**_ rise from its dormant place inside of me- even if just for an uneventful moment. I felt like crying, feeling the guilt I always felt after that side of me died down. And this was nothing but a glimpse of what she could have done, could have said. Me and Laito turned to look at each other, him silent in shock at what he'd just witnessed while I frowned guiltily, my dull eyes no longer glowing, but glistening with unshed tears. I gulped nervously, arms wrapped around myself self-consciously. I didn't know what punishment to expect after causing such destruction...I felt a deep pit in my stomach as thoughts drifted back to the things the church had done to punish me. I knew it could be dished out tenfold while here.

Laito continued to stare at me from the spot on the ground, unblinking and unmoving, as if unsure what to actually say after such a thing occurring. I was sure this sort of thing from a sacrificial bride wasn't normal...

I opened my mouth as if to say something, then, finding nothing to say, cast my head down as a remorseful look filled my amber eyes, my lower lip trembling as I sought to keep the tears back. Now that he'd seen even more of my abnormalities, he'd surely change his mind and go to tell his brothers. _And then I'm gonna be kille_\- Shaking my head to stop myself finishing that thought, I clumsily rose from my kneeling position and dashed out of the room, too ashamed to even look Laito in the eye as I stormed past him. I decided my fighting with him was over- my flight instinct had finally kicked in.

I ran, not even passing a comment or word of goodbye to the clueless man. As I blindly ran down an unfamiliar corridor, I could hear the fading of Laito's deep laughter through the walls. That bastard found all of this...funny?

"Oh, Bitch-Chan, you may be able to escape me, but you can't escape the power inside of you~" He boomed with bouts of laughter, his words echoing down the hall as I shivered from the meaning of them. He acted like he had saw right through me, saw my vulnerability... and now he knew how to exploit it. I grit my teeth and ran faster, feeling tears well up in my eyes once again at the realisation of how much trouble my _**dark side**_ has gotten me into in such a small amount of time...and that wasn't even half of what she planned to do! I was lucky she only made a quick appearance, and didn't have a chance to give Laito a flash of her power like she normally would, or else I really would be getting a punishment instead of just being dragged into some stupid blackmailing scheme...

Now wasn't the time to dwell on such internal arguments between me and my _**dark side**_ however- right now, I had to deal with the external affairs of the bloodsucking perverts..._who does he think he is, talking about my powers like he understands them? Even I don't understand them...damn him, damn them, damn all vampires to hell!_ As I ran through the house, tearing across the carpet and not caring about ruining any more of their rich crap, I was stopped in my tracks by something that caught my eye.

I froze, panting heavily as I stared at it, my jaw slack as I relished in the luck of finding it. A door- one of the side doors that led to outside, perhaps- was unlocked and open. It was swaying slightly because of the cool night breeze that came wafting through, a door having never looked as beautiful as it did in that moment. I let out a groan of pain as I clutched my chest, my heart throbbing unusually intense as the agonising twang of pain increased with every heartbeat. _Ah, damn it, why has it returned now, haven't you caused enough damage!?_

**Now's...our...chance...**

Her voice was faint, as if she was struggling to speak to me. It must've been the effects of the infection that was preventing her from conversing properly. That side of me didn't even question why the door they told would be locked to me was open or why they left it unguarded from their prisoner, even as my doubts of it being a trap ran through my mind. It was getting harder to think the more my heart thumped with intense feeling though, the attached veins almost pumping the pain to other parts of my body just as it would with my blood, the whole of my body now aching. My heart was still pumping out the last of the heated blood from earlier, and my muscles were still burning off the power that blocked my sensible thoughts.

**I'm not waiting here for our death from some spoilt prince's fangs, hoping that unreliable bastard of a father won't harm **_**her**_**, I say run from the bloodsuckers and take **_**her**_** from father by force…**

My _**Dark Side**_ was still bubbling at the surface of my skin, crawling around my heart and forming a cloud of confusion over my mind. I thought she had subsided, completely gone without a trace, but for some reason, she was pushing hard against the injection effects to speak with me, to persuade me to yield and follow her plan…I needed somewhere to calm down, gain control of my mind again and get away from the vampires- away from the very things that were causing my defence mechanism to flare up inside of me. _It's not like I'm running away, I'll be back...eventually._

I glanced at the mansion with an almost pained expression before letting out a huff of determination, turning tail and running round the side garden, through the front garden and then to the iron gates. I prayed that the boys didn't notice my absence, and if they did, they wouldn't jump to the conclusion I was trying to escape them.

With the luminescent orb that is the moon highlighting the path in front of me, I stormed out of hell and into the neighbouring forest, fighting off the power that struggled to escape my control. _I'm weak_, I thought sadly, running all the more faster even as my body spiked with pain at the new rush of adrenaline. I couldn't activate my stupid powers when I'm ganged up by three of them, but then I can barely hold it together for 15 minutes without blowing up the house when I'm alone with one of them?

I didn't know if it was the vampire's power that was causing that side of me to act erratically, or if it was because of the injection or…if it was even what my father said about me was turning 16. Maybe it was a mix of all three, I didn't know. Whatever it was, I had to gain control and get it back to normal. _How am I supposed to be cautious and use my powers wisely when neither me nor my __**dark side **__ can pick and choose when to oppose them and when to obey them?_

...

...

...

_**What I didn't expect however, as I tried to run from the problem within me, was that another brother was watching me, waiting for the right time to teach me a lesson I'd never forget...**_

* * *

_**HI! How you doing? What do you think of my newest chapter? Do you like it? Or not? All opinions are appreciated ;)**_

So yeah...I finally got it done! This took me forever to do, so I hope you like it :) I really would love to know what you think about this, is Laito depicted right or is he OOC? Do you like Akako? Do you like her little burst of power? What do you think's going to happen now that she ran away for some time to gain control? Who left the door open and why? And who do you think the brother watching her is? ooh, you'll find out soon enough in the next installment, but I still want to know your thoughts? ;)

I added quite a bit of information on her dreaded dark state, but I'm still holding some info back for some surprise factor, and because I don't want to just dump exposition on you all at once. :) as the boys learn more of her powers, so will you :) In the next chapter, you'll learn more about why the dark side of her flares up when she's around the boys, but beyond that, you won't learn about what her dark side of her actually is until later on. As for the powers her dark side gives her, you won't learn about that states capabilities until about chapter 10 or 12, and even then it wont be all of it. Its a mystery~ :)

BTW, I hope you don't get confused when her dark side is in control, I still write it as first person, and will make the normal Akako voice her thoughts in italics, ok?

_Btw, I would like to thank **Iridium Rose**__ for doing an amazing job as my beta. she is helping me clean up my chapters a little so that the grammar, spelling and punctuation is all good :) She is definitely helping making my chapters easier to read!_

**So please leave a review if you're feeling kind and you got a little time to show your love, I'd love to know your thoughts on the overall chapter and storyline? If not, thats fine guys cause you can alway show your support through other means ;)**

**...(I of course mean following my story or favoriting it...nothing else...HONEST!)**

**And don't forget to check out my profile for the links to the picture associated with this chapter, it'll help give you a visual for the story!**

You don't have to worry because I promise to update soon, so until then, see ya! ;)

_P.s the song I used for her dream is called Pandemic by the vocaloid Gumi- you should check it out on youtube!_


	4. Follow lights and you will meet danger

**Previously, In Beyond the Boundary of Human and Beast:**

I glanced at the mansion with an almost pained expression before letting out a huff of determination, turning tail and running through the front garden to the iron gates. I prayed in my mind that the boys didn't notice my absence, and if they did, they wouldn't jump to the conclusion I was running away…

* * *

It was dark, the trees surrounding me stood tall, their spindly protrusions displaying the rich sage colour of their leafy manes. They cast dark shadows across the forest floor. The forest was wild, but not overgrown, the trees large and widely spread apart from each other, the floor's grass surprisingly short. It had most likely been repeatedly trodden on by the various wilderness situated there. Places where the grass had been kicked and pulled up by urgently moving animals had left deep patches of unturned earth for display, the ground here soft and easily pierced. My bare feet were lucky, the ground mostly clean of hidden dangers, only the occasional jagged rock or unnoticed stone piercing my soft flesh and interrupting my journey.

It had been stupid on my part to rush outside without my shoes, but I hadn't really been thinking straight when all I'd wanted to do was to escape Fedora Freak's perverted clutches. Besides, I had no idea what Laito had even done with the clothes I'd been wearing when he changed me into the stupid negligée, so I couldn't of very well stuck around to scour the room for my shoes.

Besides, although it wasn't a usual pastime for me to have to go through the woods with no protection on my feet, it wasn't the first time I'd been put into a similar situation, and because of that, pain that would most likely discomfort a normal person tended to barely faze my hardened soles. Though that's not to say my feet stayed clean. Clumps of dirt burrowed in-between my toes and painted my toenails an earthy brown. Thankfully, hard roots were kept underground where they couldn't trip me up. There were also few nasty thistles, nettles or thorns out on display to harm me, this forest much pleasanter than those I had wandered though in previous years- especially considering this forest was entirely wild.

As time went on, the painful thumping of my heart dulled and my heartbeat slowed into a somewhat regular rhythm. I slowed down from a run to a jog because of this, my racing mind mellowing out and allowing me to focus less on the pain and more on my surroundings.

I inhaled the smell of rich earth, the musk of damp leaves leaving the air feeling heavy. It wasn't entirely unpleasant though. The storm had stopped hours ago and because of that, so had the rain. Though the forest still held moisture in the air and leaves. The crunch of my feet on the ground was dulled by the soggy earth, the low hanging leaves that brushed against my body leaving the contacted skin damp.

It was quiet, the forest calm, even the sounds of the nocturnal animals going about their daily business minuscule. The loudest thing in the forest seemed to be my heavy footsteps, even as I gradually slowed my jogging into a leisurely walk. As I ventured deeper into the forest, my whizzing mind blanked out in favour of a more peaceful one, only the sounds of my deep breaths filling my ears. How long had I been out there? I wondered if the boys have noticed my absence.

I looked behind me, no longer able see the rooftop of the mansion. I paused. I was considering my options, wondering if it be best that I returned. I had walked so far that I couldn't even see a glimpse of the lights shining through the mansion's many windows, the glow having previously been winking at me through the branches behind me. Considering I had been moving up a steep slope from the very beginning (allowing me to easily see the mansion below me even as I trekked upwards), I quickly realised I must've gone pretty far for the vampire lair to have finally lost my sights through the thicket of trees and bushes. I looked to the floor as I hesitantly touched my chest, feeling my heart beating beneath my palm. My mind felt clear. I turned to look down the path I'd just came through, knowing that if I went any further, without the mansion in sight, I probably wouldn't remember my way back.

Oh, and not to mention that walking through the forest in the middle of the night probably wasn't the best thing for a young girl to do.

Then again, I was quite far away from the nearest town or main road, so the chance of meeting another person on my trails was next to none.

I sighed, more inclined to fight off the potential dangers of the forest than go back to _them_. But even so, I knew I had to return to the vampires, not to protect my life, but _hers_. I had to survive there, or else my father would be free to do whatever he wanted to that sweet girl's life- and I'd do anything to preserve her innocence to the weird shit I'd been exposed to.

I had just taken the first, begrudging steps back down the self-made path I'd created on my travels, tensing my body as I prepared to swing my leg over a large, fallen tree trunk, when a stray light caught the corner of my eye. I froze. I glanced from left to right, squinting in the darkness to catch even a glimpse of what had made the light. My eyes were currently emitting a low glow, helping light the way in front of me much more reliably than any flashlight could. Unable to catch it again, I slowly turned back around, shaking my head, finally accepting that it must have been my imagination. I had just heaved my other leg back over the log, now standing at the other side of it, when I saw it again. It was small, fleeting, but definitely a red flash of light. I turned back around, eyebrows furrowed in befuddlement as I began to search for the strange little light again. I was just about to shout out when the source of the light finally decided to fully reveal itself- bringing friends.

What the hell?

They were small and round, like dumplings, floating a few feet up in the air. I carefully, so as not to frighten them, walked closer to them, wary of where my foot trod. I noticed their transparency, similar to a bubble, the inside of them holding a bright flame of crimson light, the tiniest wisps of smoke escaping them every so often to dissolve into the air. They were beautiful. They had no obvious features, their spherical surfaces entirely smooth save for two small, white circular eyes, glassy and unblinking. I slowly transitioned from my standing position to a crouch, eyes switching between watching where I planted my feet (to prevent a snapping twig scaring them off), and the little lantern creatures, now all huddled together as I dared to venture near them.

I must have been no more than a mere few feet away from the huddle they'd formed, the bright creatures ignoring me. I crouched down lower, so my eyes were level with the height in which they floated, watching their round bodies bob up and down as a warm smile spread across my cheeks. I had seen these creatures once before, in my childhood. One of the more joyous memories of my youth. They were a certain type of spirit, or _yokai_\- a ghost-like creature of the paranormal world. I had briefly mentioned before that I could see spirits, and these little lanterns were a perfect example of the strange things I could see. When my eyes began their unearthly habit of glowing, they seemed to work like UV ray lights and allow me to see the things unseen by the naked eye- which included these funny little Yokai.

Yokai came in all manners of shape and size, some more or less resembling real animals (with slight variations) while others, like these little fellas, had a much more unique quality to their design. But as well as looks, so too did the intelligence of Yokai differ. Some could converse in the human tongue as easily as any person, while others were similar to babies or dogs in their broken speech and understanding- some younger spirits unable to comprehend any human language at all. Judging by the look of these little lanterns, seemingly no mouth in sight, I presumed that they were similar in their comprehension of Japanese to a dog- they could understand a handful of words and phrases, but certainly couldn't speak back.

I watched them silently, my mood the most content it had been since everything went wrong, the stress lines smoothing out to bring a pleased expression on my face as I studied them with slight awe. They were so soothing, so tranquil, I felt as if I could get lost within their flames if I stared too long. I could've stayed like that for hours. But I got too cocky of my place among them, their comfort in my close proximity being translated to me as them accepting me in a friendly manner. Because of this, I decided to take the relationship one step further. I reached out my hand to touch one of them, my fingertips tingling with curiosity to know the texture of their skin. I wondered what they felt like…warm or cool? Smooth or bumpy? Slimy or dry? I overstepped the boundaries they'd silently put into place.

Just as my finger had barely brushed across the top of one of them, it suddenly spun to look to at me, it's translucent eyes staring at me, beady and unblinking. I froze, watching with wide eyes as they all swiftly turned to look at me, at least 20 pairs of eyes now blanking gazing in my direction. It was quite unnerving. I tilted my head in confusion as the lantern creature began to make a high pitched whistling sound, like an old kettle coming to boil, the strange noise increasing in volume as the other lanterns began to join in.

Their piercing shrills slashed through the stale forest air and eventually burst my eardrums, forcing me to cover my ears with my hands as I looked at them through eyes squinting with pain. I concluded the sound was one of alarm, or some sort of warning system to other little lanterns. They seemed unaggressive, currently showing more signs of fright than any attempts to attack me. They were petrified of me.

I noted how far from civilisation (towns, main roads and motorways) this place was, and realized with a start that perhaps seeing humans, let alone a human that could actually see and hear them, might be quite a traumatising thing for them to experience. _I think…I'm the first human they've ever seen_

_._

I had what the Yokai simply called 'the gift', which basically meant it gave a human the ability to see, hear and touch spirits. Humans (not weird ones like myself, but actual full blooded members of the human race) with this particular ability were rare but known of, though most of them only had _one_ of the three spiritual senses I mentioned. People like myself were known as a 'triple threat'- quite literally seen a threat to the Yokai due to it being so hard for them to evade me when they couldn't exploit a sense I didn't own (I had all of them, after all). A typical Yokai used to the presence of humans would normally be alarmed at being seen, so for Yokai that had potentially never seen a human before (and most likely only heard of them through the mouths of others), I wasn't entirely sure what was running though their mind.

I watched with a gasp as the Yokai unanticipatedly began to bounce around the air in a frenzy, the little lanterns colliding into each other as they whizzed through the air around me in a crimson blur of colour. I stayed crouched for fear one of them would hit me, wondering what to do to stop the shrieking lanterns- who had increased the volume of their noise. I moved my hands so my arms were covering my head protectively as one little lantern came dangerously close to me, the gust of wind that had followed it almost knocking me over. Despite the yelps of surprise escaping my lips, I could do nothing to stop them slamming into me at full speed. Ahh, dammit, what was I to do? I couldn't stay there while they were in that frantic state, nor could I escape it. It was just too hectic. Biting my lip, eyebrows arched downwards nervously, I sought to find a way out of the mess I'd caused for myself. _Once again Akako, you run straight into trouble- nice work!_ I didn't know what to do, the last time encountering this type of Yokai having been a pleasant and playful experience, even with the language boundaries. It had been nothing like this…

Then suddenly, I was struck with a sudden thought, remembering an important fundamental type of Yokai-to-human communication, one well within my capabilities. I knew what I needed to do. I took a deep breath, eyes darting frantically to keep an eye on them all, before I exhaled a big gust of air and opened my mouth.

What came out of my mouth were words, lyrics, a string of poetic sentences all vague in meaning spilling from my mouth. They weren't from any existing song, one simply conjured up from the evanescent thoughts that swirled within my mind. The sentences, when put together, had no logical meaning, but it sounded pretty enough for the little lanterns, who had all, one by one, began to slow down, their whistling dimming in volume. It sounded like I was reciting a lullaby to a sleepy child, my naturally mellifluous voice even more soothing once it was used to sing a sweet little tune.

Singing for Yokai was much deeper than just having them listen to a pretty song, to Yokai, it was an important part of their culture, it deeply rooted into their very biology. Singing lyrics or playing music to Yokai, no matter what the genre, was the same as going to church and reciting a hymn for the lord- you were _praying_ to them, respecting their existence and admiring their power.

Realising they had completely stopped moving, the now mute little lanterns hovering in one place, I finally rose. Standing up, slowly, carefully, I saw their eyes all staring blankly at me, their emotions unknown. The volume of my song steadily declined into silence, a sheepish expression crossing my face as my hands fidgeted nervously by my side. Well, I had their attention…what did I do now?

The Yokai answered the question for me.

They suddenly jolted into life, high-pitched whistles bouncing between them in what I presume was a heated discussion. They began to pulsate rhythmically, the beautiful flame within them steadily glowing brighter. I flinched from their heat emitting from them, but forced myself to keep my feet firmly planted where I crouched. Finally, they moved, briefly turning to stare at me before casually floating away into the distance, the dense thicket easily covering their path as they emitted a chipper whistle. I didn't attempt to move, not sure what the meaning of their sudden excitement-and disappearance- meant. I was pretty sure they weren't showing signs of fear or nervousness anymore, but why were they so suddenly excited? Why were they leaving so casually? I didn't know…

I wasn't sure what the new sound they'd created meant either, but as high pitched and loud as it was, the sound certainly wasn't a piercing shrill like before. It wasn't painful to listen to. In fact, it was more of an orchestrated chorus of whistles, them all crying out in surprising harmony as they dashed off into the distance. The little lanterns all formed a long line, them bobbing up and down to the rhythm of their whistles as they vanished behind the thick curtain of leaves, their bright glow still visible even in the distance. The little lanterns at the rear of the row paused however, turning to me with their frozen gaze as they floated towards me and began to slowly circle my body, whistling in short little toots. They wanted me to...follow them? I wanted to, the curiosity too great to not indulge...but was it too risky?

Many Yokai are, by nature, mischievous tricksters. Though I knew that the ditzy little lanterns were most likely innocent in their motives, whatever it was. They just didn't seem smart enough creatures to trick me like the other Yokai. But it wasn't their intentions that made me nervous, not fully, it was the possibility of the Sakamaki's finding me and dragging me back to the mansion, furious and demanding to know where I'd been, that stopped me in my tracks.

I glanced behind me, the mansion already a good 15 minute jog away and the further distance the Yokai wanted me to go unknown. It was risky. I wasn't even fully sure if the Sakamaki's had already noticed my absence, or how long it would be before they begin looking. The intense curiosity that burned within me however was more concerned with the Yokai's destination than the consequences of leaving the vampire's mansion. I bite my lip anxiously, glancing between the path back to the mansion and the path the glowing Yokai had made, and sought to make up my mind.

**Come on, we've already sacrificed our old life and promised our blood…must the bloodsuckers take **_**all**_** of our freedom?**

I jumped slightly with surprise as the voice ran throughout my mind. It seemed my _**dark side**_ had decided to speak to me once again- her having been silent since I'd dashed into the woods. The comforting emptiness of my mind was once again cluttered with her words again… how wonderful. What concerned me more than my annoyance of her presence however was that my _**dark side**_ was interacting with me much differently than normal. My _**dark side**_ should only have been able to speak to me when I was in life-threatening danger, usually accompanied by a painful beating of my heart, but certainly not whenever she wanted to. Her speaking to me because of some unknown potential danger of the lanterns seemed like too much of a stretch since she was encouraging me to follow them and not kill them….besides, my heart wasn't even beating unusually. What the hell did the injection do to me? Did the maturing of my powers include my _**dark side**_ becoming more invested in my life via communication? _That side of me has been speaking more these past few days than in the last 6 years…_

I groaned internally at the realization that I might have to talk to the voice in my head much more often. I just didn't understand why everything in my life was changing so fast; first the injection, then the kidnapping, then reuniting with my father, then, as if reliving my past with the church wasn't bad enough, they send me away to be a slave to 6 vampire princes!

Honestly, the only thing in my life I was fully sure of was that I planned to find out what the hell that vampire king was planning to do with me and my powers- since, without sounding conceited, I was clearly here for a bigger reason than becoming his son's walking bloodbag.

**You and me both, darling, I wanna know too. As a great musical once sung, 'we're in this together'...**

Making a decision with a reluctant groan, I shook my head to rid it of growing nerves. My lips pressed together with gritty determination, I promptly began to dash deeper into the woods, choosing to follow the Yokai and stay out a little longer. As I felt a particular smugness briefly fill me, I knew instantly that it wasn't my own emotion I was feeling. It was my _**dark sides**_. _I don't trust you or your decisions, you know, I'm following the little lanterns out of my own choice,_ I thought back to my _**dark side**_, unsure if I was convincing myself of my words or her. I heard nothing in reply but a distant chuckle that echoed through my head. I was already regretting my decision.

My running gradually became an amble, casually following the glowing red orbs from the back of the line they'd formed. The circling little lanterns, now happy with my decision, carried on the line behind me. I trekked behind the little lanterns for another 20 minutes at a particularly slow walk, making me think that wherever we were going, we could've gotten there much faster if they'd picked up the pace a little. Though I thought their slow speed was more to do with courtesy towards me than anything else, their floating bodies easily able to avoid any obstacles while I had to scamper over fallen logs and swat at low hanging branches as I continuously tripped, slipped or fell.

After a further ten minutes of walking, I stumbled slightly as the line of Yokai in front of me suddenly halted its movements, abrupt silence from them. Quickly collecting myself, I tried to look to the front of the line to see what the commotion was about, even more surprised as the little lanterns line dispersed, them all either moving to the left or right of me. The glowing Yokai had created a clear path in front of me. It was like at the airport, where the runway had little blinking lights to show the pilot the way through the dark. I flashed them a sheepish grin as I carefully began to walk forwards, eyes darting nervously to look at each of the little lanterns as I passed them. As I finally neared the front, I was once again stopped in my tracks, the grin melting off of my face to be replaced by an awe-stricken 'O' as I realized where they'd taken me.

While I'd commented before that the forest wasn't very overgrown for a wild forest, it seemed now as if I'd stepped into another world. The air was stifling, stagnant with the aftertaste of damp moss and decaying leaves. To the left and right of me were a vast array of trees, strikingly different to the ones I'd seen in the forest so far, an almost visible line where the normal trees of the forest ended and the ones solely in this area started. The trunks here were contorted, the outstretched branches twisting up insanely, like the despaired limbs of someone pleading for help. Yet, they still had a large bounty of leaves on display, only the occasional stream of light cutting through the dense foliage. But they weren't in one massive clump, no, inbetween the trees (and directly in front of me) were a set of stairs, stone stairs, to be exact. They were only one flight, surprisingly steep, my eyes unable to see what was at the top of them.

It was a tad unnerving, but my curiosity by this point had completely weighed out my common sense. Not to mention, the little lanterns were clearly telling me to join them, their whistling having increased in volume once again as they floated to the top of the stairs, bobbing up and down in encouragement. Their bright crimson glow partially lit the stairs, but the staircase was still quite dull in the low light due to the blanket of shadows that covered the entire area (thanks to the ancient trees). It was the darkness of the place that caused my eyes to glow brighter.

**God, stop being a bitch 'bout it and just go…what, you scared of the dark now?**

I refrained from mentally listing off some _very _creative names for her attitude and instead shook my head, lightly slapping my cheeks in an attempt to focus_._ My _**dark side's**_ little quips were beginning to get on my nerves. I didn't usually have to deal with the voice for so long, but now that the injection seemed to cause her to be able to chat with me whenever she wanted…I was almost hoping for her to do another disappearance act, just like before when I was alone with the hungry triplets. _Dealing with danger on my own might be more tolerable than hearing that bitchy voice in my head all the time._

_**Humph**_**, yeah, of course you say that now. Next time those triplets come sniffing for you, you'll be thanking me when I kick their ass.**

_Yeah, well, you couldn't exactly help me the last time I was with them, could you? If that older brother, Shu, hadn't of piped up when he did...look, all I'm saying is that maybe I don't your help as much as you think._

I felt a flash of anger, not my own, run through my body at my words, my _**dark side**_ having always been incredibly defensive when it came to protecting the vessel we shared- my body. When my _**dark side**_ couldn't do anything to prevent harm coming to our body, such as when I'd been helplessly in the hands of the triplets and she couldn't activate my _**dark state**_, she always felt afterwards as if she'd just failed at her very reason for being.

With a glint of determination in my eye, I took my first, hesitate footstep on the staircase, beginning my scale up. I almost fell the very moment my foot hit the step, ivy and moss having grown in the crevices of the cracking stones and making them slippery. I quickly steadied myself, noting that there was no banister to grip onto. _If I fell….it would be a very long and hard way back down_. I warily trod upwards, crouched low with arms stretched out in front of me. As I carefully moved up the first couple steps, I noticed above me loomed a gate; two tall, wooden poles stood at either end of the stairs- rusted but clearly once painted a vibrant red. Thick rice-straw rope was tied to each end of the poles so that it could hang across the mouth of the stairs, a row of specially crafted paper hanging from the rope itself. It wasn't any ordinary gate, no, the function of the gate was to mark the fact it was an entrance to a sacred place. I was starting to have less doubt about my destination. Were they taking me to their home? The sole place Yokai resided in could've been none other than-

A shrine. A Yokai shrine, build solely by human believers to appease the spirits that could cause their lives trouble. Alters usually accompanied the shrine so people could propitiate the Yokai with sacrifices. Reaching the top of the stairs, after a few near death trips, I was facing another long walk along a gravel stone path, either side of it so barren of plants that not even the tiniest patch of green pierced the deep coffee colour of the damp earth. It seemed the area had more artificial, man-made constructions than the area at the bottom of the stairs. _How strange_, I though, _it must be at least a couple centuries since anyone's wondered in these woods...I'm in the middle of nowhere, after all._

I was snapped out of my thoughts as the little lanterns giddily circled me, bobbing up and down in a blur of ruby glow. I let out a small smile of amusement at the odd little lanterns, watching intently as they eventually floated further down the path, whistling at me to join them. I nodded my head and began to walk, slowly, carefully, looking around in observation. Thin mist, the colour of pale milk, rolled across the elevated place like waves, but even so I could still see thanks to my glowing eyes (as well as the lively lantern's glow) the vast emptiness the place had. There were no plants or animals in sight. It was clear the place was solely for Yokai- and maybe the occasional visitor, like myself.

Once I finally reached the end of the path, what stood in front of me was even more ancient than the Sakamaki's mansion.

The Yokai's shrine stood before me. The wooden building, most likely made from the local wood of the forest, could once have been both graceful and alluring in its beauty, but now, after countless years of being neglected and battered by weather, it could be described as nothing more than a glorified shed. The walls were discoloured and splintering, the weather-worn walls barely able to keep the roof upright without shivering like a stray kitten. It had a predominantly large roof, gently curved upwards at the end but sadly looking as if a giant had sat atop it, the roof sagging inwards at a horrible rate. Judging by the size of it, the space indoors could only be the size of a large garden shed, if that. Surrounding all sides but the front was a fence made of roughly finished thick boards, a dusty red in colour, a colour which now had almost completely peeled off from the harsh rain. I also noticed the door was a tradition sliding one, made with a simple wooden frame and paper face. A large gaping hole had been created in the centre of the door, the edges of the space frayed and slightly charred, as if the reason for the hole was from something aflame. Two small square windows were at either side of the sliding door, smashed in, fragments of glass fallen to the floor while the remaining shards still clung to the rotten and blistered window frame, forming jagged teeth that whistled as wind gently blew through the space. The place was in a miserable state.

**What a piece of crap, no wonder the spirits were begging us to follow them, they can't have had anyone praying to them for centuries. I wondered why they were so impressed by your shitty little song.**

_Shut up, I could do without your cynical comments_, I thought back, my tone snappy. Walking closer to the old shrine with intrigue, the little lanterns began to float closer to it, whistling excitedly. They highlighted, with their bright flames, two stone statues that were situated at either side of the building. Their colour was a dreary ashen grey, half covered by intrusive moss that crawled up from the ground and embraced the cold stone. I could still make out, even with the lack of light, what they were supposed to be though: a short pillar with a fox sitting proudly atop its pedestal, tail raised, ears erect, with snouts in the direction of the opposite statue so that they both faced each other. Held in their closed mouth seemed to be a key. I gasped with realisation, finally understanding what kind of Yokai presided over the forest. A Kitsune. A mythical fox, intelligent beings possessing magical abilities that increased with age and wisdom. I quickly understood that the little lanterns were watched, raised and protected by the intelligent Kitsunes. I turned to the little lanterns, wishing to verify the Yokai elder they worked for. Even though I knew they wouldn't be able to answer with words, I'd hoped I could interpret their whistling reactions as a 'yes' or 'no'.

It was important to know since Yokai (especially independent and intelligent ones like Kitsune) differed greatly in their attitude towards mankind- humans a very touchy subject among them. One type of shy Yokai could be happy to observe the interesting humans from afar, too afraid to actually go near one, while another could be equally as happy to immerse itself completely in the human world, straying from the wilderness in which most Yokai spend their entire life to instead settle down in a 'human colony' (known as cities or towns to us). Others however tended to take more tradition views, back from the days before humans took the world for its own and Yokai were the ones to capitalise the world as the most intelligent and populated species in existence. Some felt humans were beneath them, and though some chose to ignore our existence as one would a fly, others felt that humans should worship them again, just as the Japanese had vigilantly done centuries ago. Humans praying to shrines that were built solely for the Yokai who were being provided offerings regularly to be appeased was a dream many Yokai still believed to come back into fashion. That type of Yokai held onto the pride of their race in a much more aggressive manner, angry and bitter about how the humans now ignore their existence and walk around as if Yokai were myths...and as such, they generally use their power to instead harm and hurt any of mankind that had the gift to interact with them.

Where did the Kitsune of this shrine fall in the spectrum of a Yokai's feelings toward humanity?

The shrine seemed to slightly elevated, me having to walk up two, creaky wooden plank steps (I was sure would break under my weight) up to a front porch. The floor was made of wooden planks, loosely fitting and full of holes. I gingerly tiptoed up to the door, the shifting planks making me feel unsteady on my feet.

The little lanterns, tired of today's adventures, moved to their beds to rest. The roof which jutted out and covered the porch had an entire row of hanging lanterns, four sided and made of copper. I turned to watch each little Yokai all float up to an individual hanging lantern, the latch on the front side magically opening itself. They all, simultaneously, floated into their respective lanterns and waited as the door closed behind them, again by some invisible hand. I stood watching until their vivid flames slowly dimmed down into barely visible embers. As beautiful as it was, I couldn't help but think about how the lack of light still did nothing to help me ignore how shabby the once sacred shrine had become.

Glancing, for the final time, at the now subdued little lanterns, completely void of their chirpy little whistles, I turned back around to face the sliding door with an excited intake of breath. Seeing no point in opening a door with a huge gaping hole in it, I instead stuck one leg, then the other, through the large hole in the door's centre, ducking my head down as I walked through it.

I coughed the moment I breathed in the air of the shrine, dust rushing to suffocate my nostrils and fill up my throat upon the first inhale. Looking around, I saw nothing but a long, rectangular table against the back wall, a large wooden bowl and wooden box placed side by side at its centre. The bowl would have been for food offerings, while the box would most likely have been for money offerings- made obvious by the (now rusted) padlock locking its lid that featured a small slot in its centre. The room smelt of dampness and decay, the earthy smells that rose up from the mouldy floorboards an unpleasant mixture in the stuffy air. But bizarrely, the bitter chill of outside did nothing to break the stiflingly hot air in there, even though the broken windows and door were clearly wafting in cold wind, and the walls of the establishment were unable to be described as nothing more than paper thin. The room felt as if a flame was roaring in the centre and its heat reached every corner of the meagre room. As the warmth spread through my body, overtaking the chill that still clung to me from my time outside, I remembered something about certain types of Spirts. Yokai were known to have a much higher body heat than others if they had fire based powers, and combined with the fact there were glowing little lanterns possessing balls of flames outside…I had a feeling this particular shrine had a running theme. I just hoped I wouldn't leave the place with third degree burns or something.

"Erm…hello?" I called out hesitantly, my wavering voice echoing throughout the empty room. Silence. I cleared my throat before calling out again, firmer this time. "Hello, is anyone here? Some lantern-type Yokai's brought me here, I don't know why, but I presume there must be more Yokai living he - Oh, hello there." I was cut off when I noticed a flicker of movement by the corner of the room, a flash of grey catching my eye before it once again disappeared into the darkness of the room. I tried calling out again, but all I heard in reply was a low hiss, so barely audible I wasn't fully convinced if it was my imagination or not. Ignoring the pang of fear that hit my gut, I slowly walked away from the door towards the unknown Yokai.

My fingertips, which had been tightly clinging onto the doorframe, carefully pried themselves away and self-consciously gripped the edge of my nightgown instead, scrunching the material in my tightly closed fists. I crouched down slightly, gently tiptoeing toward the creature. I could feel sweat forming on my brow, a few drops trickling down my face as my tattered nightgown clung to my heated body. It was just so damn hot in there…Palms slick with sweat, I finally finished my slow journey across the room, the unrestful feel to the air making the silence painfully tense. I bent down on hands and knees once I reached the corner where the Yokai was hiding, one arm held out encouragingly towards the darkness, the area still blanketed by shadow.

Being an under 5ft girl with the face of a 10 year old, wearing a flimsy nightgown the wilderness had easily torn to pieces, I couldn't have looked any less threatening if I tried…I was hoping that my harmless appearance would gain the Yokai's trust.

**Come on, even if you want to turn tail now and run, you know we can't. There is no greater disrespect to a Yokai than not accepting a direct invitation, after all.**

_Yeah, well they've also been known to kill people for showing up to their house uninvited. Just because the little lanterns brought us here doesn't mean a more intelligent Yokai won't feel that we're not invading their home._ I thought back the warning to her with frustration, my _**dark side**_ now instead defending her ability to protect the body we share, her tone arrogant as she told me to listen to her every word. I pondered if it would be better to remind her of her uselessness back when the triplets had me or just ignore the incessant voice in my head. I chose the latter. Even though I did begrudgingly admit that it was her power that kept me alive when words of persuasion or fleeing didn't work, lately, she hadn't done much but give the Sakamaki's a better reason to kill me- other than for my blood, of course. Besides, my _**dark side's**_ power to keep me alive didn't excuse the fact she was the very reason that creatures wished to kill me. You couldn't be the hero if you were the fixing the very problem you caused.

My inner words sparked off an internal argument my mind had listened to my whole life...

**Oh, boo hoo, are you gonna cry more, little baby? Who wants to be a fucking human anyway? Will being a plain old human help you against the big bad vampires waiting for us at home!? Will being human stop us from being Laito's sex toy!? Will living without me fuelling your body with power mean you'd somehow be able to protect yourself against 6 male, practically full grown bloodsuckers!? Will-**

_-Shut up, don't you think I know that? Besides, we both know you're not strong enough to fight off one of them, forget about all 6! That's why we need to rely on my brains to get us out of here, not power! Brains before brawns...ah, you know what, forget that. You're missing something very important about this argument anyway…being a 'boring' old human would mean I would never have to be sent to the Sakamaki's in the first place! If I was human, I couldn't have ran away from my home for 6 years, I wouldn't have spent my entire childhood fighting for my life instead of playing with 'human' toys! I would have had a NORMAL house, attended a NORMAL school with NORMAL friends and fought off NORMAL human enemies in NORMAL human ways!_

I was beginning to get angry, my internal voice resentful and full of uncontained emotion, but unfortunately, my dark side was becoming the same way.

**Oh don't you even dare give me that piece of crap argument, being born a human wouldn't necessarily mean our father wouldn't have sent us off the slaughter house like all the other perfectly HUMAN sacrifices! You think you would have gained daddies love if you were a sweet little human child, innocent to the cruel supernatural world!? Like **_**her**_**? Let me tell you, if it wasn't for us taking the brute force of daddy's anger, she wouldn't be living the oblivious human life she does now...Do you really believe he wouldn't have dragged you into his twisted world of vampires and used our lives to feed the precious blood-loving princes sooner or later? ESPECIALLY if it protected his sorry own excuse for a life!?**

_...that...I mean, you don't know for sure if-_

My argument was wavering. Despite me being the smart one, my _**dark side**_ did have a fair point now and then- even if she announced it in the bitchiest manner possible.

**-Go on, try and explain to me about your little delusion of a 'perfect' human life. News flash sweetheart, NO human has a perfect life, fucking vampires and other shit aside.**

_..._

**What, no more stupid arguments to present? Well then, I'll just go right back to the fact of our little vampire roommates, shall I? Tell me Akako, would being an average teenage girl protect you from perverted vampires ready to molest us in our very bed, hmm? You know as well as I do that if I hadn't interfered, our friendly neighbourhood vampires would have decided a little 'panty fondling' wasn't enough and we could have been forced into a VERY bad situation. Do you understand what I'm getting at, or should I spell it out for you!? R-A-P-**

_Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut u-_

I was so focused on arguing with the voice in my head, I became oblivious to what was going on outside of my mind. I had been covering my ears tightly with my hands, my body still crouched and my eyes squeezed shut, shaking my head from side to side furiously. With teeth clenched… I'd continued to quarrel with the dark inner voice until the internal argument was abruptly interrupted.

The hiding Yokai had decided to come out of the shadows.

I hadn't even considered what I looked like until the Yokai spoke- but I knew in that moment I must've looked demented to the creature. Then again, I could've quite possibly not just _looked_ demented, I mean, what was more demented than a girl arguing with a voice in her head anyway?

_**"There is a darkness within you, I can sense it…"**_ The Yokai growled in a deep rugged tone, stepping out of the shadow with eerily silent footsteps as its lips curled back to reveal sharp canines. My eyes snapped open and I stared, jaw slack, at the powerful Yokai in front of me. The statues outside had been a strong indicator of who's shrine this was, but the creature that stood before me now made it all too clear….

I was in the presence of the Kitsune who ruled over this part of the forest.

_**"…Why have you come here, human? Well...if that is what you truly are."**_ My clammy hands slowly slide down my face to hang limply at my side, my eyes wide and still glowing their unearthly colour as I scrambled to stand upright. My _**dark side**_ had fallen into sullenness, her voice no longer in my mind as I focused on the Kitsune in front of me.

It was big, about the size of a large dog, its huge frame certainly not one of a typical fox. But although it stood at a massive size for a fox, its legs were still slim and its paws dainty. It stood on its toes, the very reason for its muffled steps. Its spitz type face- triangular with a long muzzle- easily showcased its row of killer teeth, currently displayed to me as the Kitsune continued to growl deeply, its broad chest vibrating because of it. It's dense and rich pelt were not the standard red, its main colour a dusty grey while its chest, paws, muzzle, tail tip and left ear revealed a pale muddy brown coat. But, as if it didn't look strange enough, it also wore _clothes._

Atop its head laid a conical straw hat, similar to a samurai's, tilted low so that most of its face was shadowed save for the piercing gaze it sent my way. It glared at me with silver eyes so pale they almost blended in with the whites of its eye. Covering its legs from the knee downwards seemed to be steel that was shaped especially to protect his lower legs, secured there with tightly bound rope. But its armour wasn't what truly scared me, oh no, what frightened me most was what glinted in the low light. It was a long blade, slender and slightly curving. It was currently stuck into the ground between two floorboards just in front of the Kitsune, its square guard in the air, ready to be picked up and used at any moment. I wasn't sure what method the Kitsune would actually use to fight with the sword, its paws seemingly ineffective and its mouth not likely as mobile as a human hand would be- but I certainly didn't want to be the person to find out. I couldn't even imagine the strength the Kitsune possessed, a very well-known rule in Yokai folklore being that the more tails a Kitsune possessed- they have been known to go up to nine- the older, wiser and more magically powerful it was. This Kitsune had five. Five bushy tails, all currently raised up and twitching with agitation as its spine curved up, fur standing on end.

**Shit, I think I'd rather deal with the vampires...**

It was clear to me that the Kitsune was definitely old, some folktales saying that a kitsune would only grow an additional tail when it passed another 1,000th birthday. By that logic, this Kitsune was 4,000 years old. This meant he spent his most impressionable years in the era where Samurai, real sword slashing warriors, were commonplace. It would've explained why he modelled himself after one.

I tried to say something to the warrior Kitsune, but nothing but incoherent mumbling escaped my lips. As his growling continued to increase, I brought my hands up defensively, slowly backing away. I stumbled almost every step back, too afraid to take my eyes off of the Kitsune to look behind me and see where I was actually going.

"I-I'm so sorry, it's just…I-I mean- it was the lanterns! They asked me to come here, I thought I was invit-"

_**"Well you thought wrong!"**_ He snapped back, his large ears pinned back against his head as he lowered his body into a stalking position, body so low to the ground his belly was dragging across the floorboards. He crept closer to me. I gulped painfully as heard the scratch of his claws against the floorboards_**. "Those **__**Chochin**__** (lanterns) have no more intelligence than a common tick, are you such a fool that you would take the fact they naturally migrate to this Shrine every night as an invitation into a Kitsune's home? That you could just walk in, not even an offering in hand!?" **_His hoarse voice rose in volume the more he lectured me, the last few words almost intelligible as he began to bark. I was the type of person who could stay reasonably calm in tense situations, but Yokai were so unpredictable I couldn't apply a lot of logic into their actions- meaning I couldn't form a plan to defend myself. As I hastily jumped back, his snapping jaws aiming at my ankles, I tripped over a loose floorboard and landed straight onto my rear end. I shuffled backwards as he rose up onto two legs and used his teeth to grab hold of the handle to his Katana, it now between his canines. He ripped it from the ground with a quick jerk of his head, his large body looming over me powerfully.

"No, wait, please, I-I didn't mean no harm, honestly, I'll just lea-" He cut me off once again as he dropped back down onto four legs, blade in mouth.

_**"I can sense it, you can't hide it…I know you possess darkness in your body. I cannot allow such evil in my home." **_He growled, his voice slightly muffled due to the blade in his jaw. I opened my mouth to argue but gasped instead as my heart palpitated suddenly, the very darkness he spoke of announcing its presence to me. _Damn it, really, now? Why don't you be helpful and get me out of here instead of giving me heartburn! _I internally cried out, hearing nothing in reply. My _**dark side**_ had actually listened to me and disappeared into the dark recesses of my mind, no way to be contacted. I was alone, without my power. _Dammit, why now? Why leave me when I actually need you...please come back, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!_ I'd saw the Kitsune's eyes flash with interest when pain had crossed my expression, giving me the impression that…that somehow, he knew exactly why I'd felt that. What had he meant by the darkness within me? There was no way he could've sensed my _**dark side**_…could he?

I didn't have any time to consider the thought because just as I'd stumbled to my feet, begging the Kitsune to explain what it had meant by the 'darkness' in my body…a sudden sound distracted the both of us. It stopped the Kitsune from pouncing at me. It was a chuckle, low and deep, floating into the room seemingly from nowhere. For the first time, I let my eyes wander away from the angered Kitsune, hurriedly searching for the owner of the laugh. Then just as I'd thought I'd imagined it, the disembodied voice came back, this time addressing me.

"Who are you talking to? Aren't you a little old for imaginary friends…?" The voice chuckled darkly, his husky tone filling the room.

I knew that voice…

"Who's there!?" I demanded, hastily scrambling back up to my feet, frowning at the insult. My eyes began to scan the room, searching for the owner of the voice.

It was so familiar, yet I couldn't place it…

"Baka, you're looking in the wrong place." The voice called out with annoyance. "Try looking up" A barely audible 'Eh?' escape my lips, eyebrows stitched together in bewilderment. There was nothing above me except a multitude of wooden beams, all pitifully trying to hold up the sagging roof. I raised my head towards the sky, seeing the wooden beams just as I'd thought, some mouldy and chipped, other completely snapped and leaving only half of the beam still loosely connected to the ceiling. But what caught my attention most was the large patch of roof which had fallen in, leaving a huge chunk of roof missing in its centre. Through it, I saw something I never expected to see, a squeak of surprise escaping my lips as I looked up and saw a Sakamaki staring back at me…

* * *

_**HI! How you doing? What do you think of my newest chapter? Do you like it? Or not? All opinions are appreciated ;)**_

OMG I'M SO SORRY! I told you all that I would update soon, you all trusted me, but I have broken the sacred bond between fanfic writer and reader :O lol just kidding but I promise that next time I set a plan to update, I tell you if I'm gonna be a while or not, honest! Its just that it was coming up to the end of the year and my college assignments had all build up (cause procrastination and laziness) and I didn't have time to write it. Then we finally broke up and I wrote out this baby but then I went to spain for a week so I had to wait to come back before I could publish it so...yh. I had a good time in spain though, got my first club experience, Woohoo! I'm 17, told all the clubs I was 18- Alcohol, a shit load of it, was given to me in return for the information. Plus so...much...dancing! God, I'm sad I'm back in Britain now, where all the clubs strictly ask for ID :'( Guess I'll have to wait till next year before I get my groove on... ANYWAY, back to the story, haha

So yeah, no boys in this chapter, plus I left it on a cliffhanger which I_ know_ is a sucky thing to do, but hahaha, you'll just have to wait :) not as long as before though! ;) I just wanted this chapter so that more of her talents are known- not only do her eyes glow when emotional or her dark side is activating, they also glow when she wants to see Yokai! and there are also loads of yokai near the mansion so you can be sure she will return to see them- if she fixes this problem with the mean Kitsune that is :O

It was a lot of description and I think it was a pretty crappy chapter but I tried my best so...hopefully next chapter will be better- and it will of course include a dialover boy :) Who do ya think it is? who do you want it to be? want do you want to happen between Akako and _? tell me in a review!

I'm sorry for all the grammer mistakes in this and last chapter, but unfortunately my beta can no longer check my work for that and I'm in the middle of finding someone new, if any of you want to proofread my work, you can send me a message if you want to help :D I'm also looking for someone who knows a lot about Diabolik lovers so I can talk through scenarios I want to write and make sure the boys don't become OOC, so again, if you wanna help, just send me a message :D

**So please leave a review if you're feeling kind and you got a little time to show your love, I'd love to know your thoughts on the overall chapter and storyline? If not, thats fine guys cause you can alway show your support through other means ;)**

**...(I of course mean following my story or favoriting it...nothing else...HONEST!)**

You don't have to worry because I promise to update soon, honestly this time I will, so until then, see ya! ;)


	5. My body? Not a shrine for you to destroy

Subaru. The youngest Sakamaki, the youngest prince, _the violent albino who punched holes in the wall_, was staring down at me through the large hole in the roof. He had this complacent little grin spread across his cheeks, staring down at me like I was an insignificant little ant under his boot. My jaw grew slack as I stared at him, eyes wide and unblinking. At first glance, I had presumed that the boy had teleported onto the roof and was using his no doubt amazing vampire agility to stand on the loose tiles- but upon further inspection, I noticed with fascination that his real method was much more bizarre. He was…floating? Subaru was literally hovering in the air. Casually standing with his hands in his pocket, his feet weren't touching anything at all, instead hanging directly over the giant hole in the roof. He tilted his head to peer down at me through the gap in his feet.

"…Yo, dumb girl" he greeted, his gruff tone akin to a rebellious punk. Silence met him, my expression still frozen as I gaped at him like a fish. After staring at him for several seconds, not a word passing between us, I eventually gulped, shaking my head and slapping my cheeks lightly to snap myself out of my deep trance. I then attempted to answer him.

"….S-Subaru…you're...erm…f-floa…ting…?" I weakly told him, my voice hushed in awe. When I'd opened my mouth, I'd meant to angrily reply to his jab about me being dumb, but my mouth didn't seem fully connected to my brain in that moment and I could instead only focus on the issue of his flight. Subaru raised an eyebrow at my words, tilting his head to the side. I guess it was because I'd phrased the question as if I was_ telling_ him rather than _asking_.

"Aah? Why are you so surprised?" He sneered at me, his grin widening. "Floating is no big deal- nothing special." Did that mean ALL vampires could fly!? My eyes lit up with the fact, curiosity within me sparking to life as fascination crossed my expression. The intense desire to know anything and everything about vampiric flight filled my thoughts as I suddenly wanted nothing more than to know how he gained such an amazing ability.

"W-wait, are you saying that this is something _all_ vampires can do?" I gushed in admiration, the sense of amazement I felt evident in my tone as my hands clasped together almost in prayer, begging him to let me know. "Or it is a genetic thing? Does it depend on the strength of your power, like you learn it the stronger you become, or it is just something you're born with? How fast can you fly? Is it tiring to float or is it as easy as standing? Can you-"

My incessant onslaught of questions were cut off as Subaru abruptly kicked the side of the hole in the roof. _Erm…what?_ He'd caused the gaping hole to become even bigger, pieces of roof splintering off in large chunks and crashing to the ground in a blur of faded brick red. Unfortunately for me, I was standing directly underneath the crashing tiles. I hurriedly dived to the side, clumsily scrambling out of the way as a yelp of surprise escaped my mouth. Dust was forced upwards and into the air in an explosion of crumbling tiles, forcing me to cover my nose and mouth with my hand. I tried to stop breathing the grimy air as it rushed to greet me even as I stayed low to the floor, now in a crouching position. I blinked back the airborne dirt as it slowly cleared, now an abundant of rubble surrounding the shrine's cramped space. Breathing heavily, still in shock, I raised my gaze back up to the now even larger hole in the roof. A deep crease of annoyance was set into his features as he glared at me with fierce crimson eyes.

"SHUT UP!" He yelled at me, hands clenched into fists as he stood tensely, still floating in the centre of the gaping hole. "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU RAMBLING ON LIKE AN IDIOT!?" I stared at him, taken aback, not quite sure why my excitement had justified him nearly crushing me to death with rubble. He angrily glared at my crestfallen expression, my lower lip stubbornly sticking out as I stood straighter, arms now crossed in annoyance. He grit his teeth in further frustration.

"Yeah, well, why the hell are you breaking the roof…this place could have completely collapsed in on itself!" I retorted with exasperation, my soft spoken voice still kept at a low level. I rarely raised my voice, no matter how annoyed. He didn't reply, just gave me a half-shrug that told me he clearly didn't give a shit whether the old place fell or not- as long as he wasn't listening to me, he was happy to do whatever it took to shut me up. My eyes flashed with outrage at his obvious lack of concern for the historic shrine- and my life- my eyebrows furrowed to bring forth a fiercely intense glare. Our stare down didn't last very long however as he eventually _tsk_ed and rolled his eyes, his fists unclenching as he instead stood with his arms crossed. "Things, things that you pathetic, inferior humans can only ever dream of doing, we vampires can do them easily. It's just how we are- my family included." He begrudgingly admitted, his tone a tad less violent and explosive than before- though still just as condescending. I could already feel my lip jutting out to deepen the already formed pout, a heated gaze peeking through my fringe. I was just about to open my mouth to defend the 'pathetic, inferior humans' when-

I heard the growl.

It was low, barely audible even in the stifling silence of the room, but not quiet enough for me to simply dismiss it. It immediately brought my attention back to my 'imaginary friend'. I'd almost forgotten about him…almost. The Kitsune was still crouched low, most of him save for his face covered by the dense shadows of the room. I saw his sharp teeth glisten slightly in the low light and knew immediately that he was drooling slightly. My eyes widened slightly at the realization. Was he really planning to kill me? Was the Kitsune really so violent? I was about to find out if things continued to progress the way it was.

Our eyes crossed paths and I and the Kitsune ended up staring at each other straight in the eye, neither of us willing to move until the other did first, a nervous tension being passed back and forth between human and Yokai. I subtly shook my head at him, my eyes silently begging him not to make a move, the pleading of a desperate girl evident on my face. His ears, once angrily pinned back flat against his head, twitched slightly as they softened, his body losing some of its tension as he rose to a comfortable stance. It was as if he saw something in my eyes that finally made him see my humility, causing him to decide to let up on his hostility. His weight was still pushed onto his front legs however, still ready to shift ever so slightly back into a full fighting stance, ready to charge at me once more…but that slight relaxation was better than nothing. The Kitsune briefly glanced up at the ceiling, no doubt at the floating vampire, and then back at me, his lips curling back in disgust as his eyes were finally drawn to the rubble on the ground. He was now not only unhappy about the intrusion of his home, but now also the destruction of it. I mouthed to him that I would get rid of both me and the vampire, if he graciously permitted me some time, and gulped as I only got a long, hard stare from the creature in return. His paws began to knead the ground impatiently, causing his nails to scrape against the floorboards. I could feel my spine tingling from the sheer tenseness of my awaiting body, his cold gaze much more unnerving to me than even the vampires. Thankfully, he finally moved, me watching him cautiously as his snout wrinkled, the Kitsune sniffing in disgrace at the offer.

_**"Get him out of here, child, and make it quick…I do not appreciate vampire scum in my home, especially one as destructive as this young leech here. Don't underestimate my skills at exterminating such vermin…and their little pet as well." **_He boomed in his growly voice, slowly retreating back into the shadows. He was gone from my sights as quickly as he'd appeared, me only seeing saw one last angry thrash of his tails before he'd walked straight into the darkness once again. Even so, I knew that the creature certainly hadn't taken his eyes off of me. I continued to stare at the dark spot, long after the Kitsune was out of my sights.

"Oi, I'm up here, why are you so busy looking at cobwebs in the corner of the room? What, you scared of spiders or something?" Subaru grumbled pathetically, bringing my attention back to him as I briefly wondered how long I'd been staring at the corner of the room…had he not seen the Kitsune? There was no way he could've missed it. I shook my head to rid it of wandering thoughts, remembering my time limit and instead focusing my mind on how to get Subaru out and away from the shrine without being too obviously demanding- I feared that would push him into another outburst.

I closely watched him, my arms, still stubbornly folded from earlier, slowly untangling as I cautiously shifted into a more hesitant stance. I'd made the mistake of letting my guard down too quickly around that Fedora Freak before, nearly allowing the creep into my panties, but this time, I wasn't going to be so quick to laugh at the vampire's odd quirks. I'd let my excitement get the best of me when I'd found out about vampiric flight, I couldn't do it again- I had to remember that this one had a temper. That side of me still hasn't returned after all, meaning I had no power to fall back on in the event that Subaru _really_ got serious about harming me. Then again, he seemed pretty determined to crush me before, so maybe that already counted as a serious attempt to injure me… I quickly shook my head, once again emptying it of such thoughts and instead trying to focus my full attention on the vampire. He currently held a great sneer on his lips, continuing to hold an exceptionally mocking gaze towards me.

I had to figure out a way to lead him back to the mansion before that Kitsune attacked us both.

But even with that thought, I felt that if I was too eager about going back to my prison…Subaru would feel suspicious and start to question my haste, leading to more problems. It was a fine line I was treading.

"Humph, what's with that face? Are you dissatisfied with something…?" He commented, scowling at my hard set expression and strong-willed gaze. I was so busy racking my brain to find a solution, I didn't even consider how my deep concentration must've looked on my features.

"Eh? Oh, n-no, no…erm, I was just thinking about how late it was and that maybe we should start heading ba-" I was cut off by the grunt that escaped his lips as he suddenly stopped floating, letting himself drop from the sky. He fell to the ground to land just in front of me. And I, being the pathetic, skittish girl I was, instinctively shrieked and stumbled back, almost knocked back onto the ground from surprise- if the meagre space of the room hadn't allowed me to slam into the wall instead. Subaru stood casually once his feet touched solid ground, only the quietest grunt escaping him as he'd finished his decent. He had a deep scowl on his face as he looked down on my pathetic state, an eyebrow raised mockingly at my wide yet unyielding stare. I might have stepped back, but I didn't want to seem completely caught off guard…not at least until he did something that would give me reason to be.

"Ah….stop you're damn screaming, will ya? I didn't do anything to make such a racket over. Geez, so annoying." He muttered under his breath, glaring unhappily at me like an old man finding kids playing on his lawn. It was not a good look for him.

"_I'm _the annoying one? You follow me here, broke the already crumbling roof in your outburst- like a tantruming child- and then make a giant mess with all of the rubble!" I hiss at him, my teeth clenched in an attempt to prevent me yelling. I was trying to adopt a somewhat calmer tone instead. "This place is sacred, you could at least respect it a little…" I briefly averted my gaze at those words, looking to the left of me where the Kitsune had disappeared, my locked jaw loosening as I took a few calming breaths through my nose. I needed to have a clear head. I felt my hands, which had been clenched into fists at the side of me, slowly relax as they clung childishly onto the bottom of my skirt instead, gently tugging the flimsy fabric down as I calmly looked up at him, a deep frown on my face.

Subaru didn't answer my question, just continued glaring down at my short stature instead, sneering at me as if irritated by my very presence. No thought to the consequences of his actions at, acting like nothing fazed him…who did he think he was, some rebellious punk fighting the local police?

**Haha, he looks like the type of troubled teen who 'no one gets', you know, he goes to the park and graffiti's the slide with some angsty message from some indie band that no one's heard of, while kicking away the impatient kids asking the goth loser to move so they can play…what a poser!**

I nearly choked on air when I heard her voice, so full of sarcasm and sass, as if my _**dark side**_ didn't realise the very delicate situation we were in. _Where the hell have you been? You show up to make fun of the grunge vampire, but you can't show up when a KITSUNE wants to maul me to bits!? _I hastily cleared my throat as I thought the words- as if Subaru suddenly learnt how to read my mind and could hear everything I and my _**dark side **_were saying. My irrational measures to ensure he couldn't hear my thoughts were pretty foolish in hindsight, but in my defence, if he could float, what else he was capable of. As for my dark side, she expressed some troubling news about how much that injection affected my, _our_, body.

**I'm sorry, you know as well as I do that we're not very…'connected'…at the moment. I could sense you were in danger, but sorry honey, there was nothing I could do anything about! You're lucky I can even talk to you right now. I mean, post-injection, it seems to be easier to talk to you now, I can do it even if you aren't in any immediate danger, but as for activating our powers like with that pervert…that injection might be a much bigger problem than we first thought...**

_What are you saying…?_ She couldn't possibly be saying…

**I'm saying I can talk to you more than before, but whatever our body possessed that helped me jump start our power, seems to keep changing in strength and immediacy. When you were around Fedora Freak, I could feel our power almost the exact instant he touched us, but now, a mere hour after the incident, I've been trying for the past 15 minutes to take over our body and…well, nothing, nada, zilch, zippo! It's driving me up the fucking wall! You probably can't even feel me trying, can you?**

Now that she'd mentioned it, it was true my heart wasn't palpitating painfully like it usually would when my powers were activating, if anything, the only thing I could feel was the tiniest aching in my chest- I could barely even call it heartburn. The only other change would be my quickened pulse, but that could easily be due to the tense situation I was in. This information my alter ego had supplied me with only lead to one thought.

Fuck. I really was screwed.

**Ahem, actually, the correct phrase would be **_**we're**_** screwed, but close enough. **

I really wished that she wasn't just a disembodied voice in my mind then, wanting more than to that moment to slap her in that moment.

Telling my _**dark side**_ previously that we'd need to rely on our brains instead of lashing out with our power willy-nilly was much easier to say than to actually apply it to real life- especially considering I was currently powerless and sandwiched between two very temperamental creatures Fighting a potentially hungry/horny teenage vampire with anger issues and an ancient Kitsune warrior with territorial issues wasn't on my list of talents. But it was the way it was and there was nothing I could do to change that fact.

Besides, the thought of the previous human brides not dying instantly gave me hope that relying on my power might not just be the only way to deal with the vampire...

I just had to be smart about it, keep a sharp mind and eye on their behaviour, their body language, figure out what they were about to do before they do it and act accordingly. I gripped the bottom of my nightgown tighter as a shiver ran through me at the thought of what the previous brides had done to appease them, my breath picking up as I stared determinedly at Subaru. I silently hoped that he wasn't like a dog and that looking him straight in the eye would be seen as a challenge for dominance or something. I needed to forget about those other worries, and focus solely on the current ones.

**Erm, yeah, that's a great plan and all, but Subaru has been talking to you for the past five minutes now and you haven't listened to a word, so I suggest you stop **_**thinking**_** about focusing on the situation and, oh I don't know, actually do it...**

With a sharp intake of breath, I properly focused on my surrounding to see Subaru's mouth was indeed moving, and confirmed that sounds were coming out of it…though what he was saying had been muffled by my worried thoughts. _Great, just like before, I put myself at a disadvantage, nice work Akako!_ I only caught the end of his irritated rant.

**Jesus, and you call **_**yourself**_** the smart one?**

"-wn like that?" I froze, blinking rapidly as I stared blankly at him. I hadn't heard a single word. My mouth opened slightly, but finding no excuse to give him for my lack of attention, a mumbled 'huh?' left my lips instead of an actual answer. I could feel my palms become slick with sweat as I saw the flash of outrage in his eyes, his fists clenched tightly as he took a step towards me. I was gripping my nightgown so tightly by this point that my knuckles had turned almost as pale at him. I couldn't help but flinch as I saw him take one final step towards me, this one much more forceful than the others. I _felt _more than _saw_ the floorboard he'd stomped on break, the vibrations from the ground travelling through the floorboards like a domino effect and causing me to nearly topple onto the shifting floor. A hole was now in the space he'd placed his foot, the crater around the area of impact perfectly showcasing the strength he'd put into the movement. The surrounding floorboards had splintered and snapped, some of the boards pushed upwards and into each other, creating what looked like mini volcanoes built from the ground. It was just another mess to add on to the giant pile of rubble in the middle of the room…

_Jesus, he's like a bull in a china shop._

"YOU REALLY ARE AN IDIOT, AREN'T YOU? ARE YOU SO INCAPABLE THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN LISTEN FOR 2 MINUTES!?" He yelled at me, his voice gruff with fury as he swung an arm to grab at me. I'd luckily dodged it by stumbling backwards with incredible reaction time, but was dismayed to feel the cold surface of wall brush against my back as it did. This shrine was extremely small after all, so there weren't many places for me to escape to, especially considering the vampire was inbetween me and the door. I stared at him, chest still heaving from my surprise of his outburst, hands and back pressed firmly against the wall, warily watching as he glared at me with blatant loathing. It was uncomfortable for me to look him right in the eyes when he held such an expression. I found myself struggling not to look down submissively like some dog. But still, I at least attempted to hold a strong gaze.

Stifling silence passed between us. No words were spoken but all that we'd wanted to communicate was clear enough in our gazes- Subaru's eyes narrowed and piercing, mine wide and intense. Eventually, I heard a _tch_ escape his lips, his stance relaxing slightly, his arms once again crossed as his stare lessened slightly with intensity. "I said that you're my food, understand? That means you can't just leave the house whenever the hell you wish, got it? There's no going out on your own without one of u-" He grumbled, the scowl adorning his features deepening as I interrupted him.

"-_Buuut_, Reiji never actually said I couldn't go out on my own, right? So it's not like I've broken any rules~!" I piped up with childish arrogance, a cheeky grin adorning my face. I could feel the anxiety leaving my body as I settled back into my usual laid-back mood, hoping my remaining fear of him wouldn't peek through my attempts at casualness. Though both my anger and fear towards him was quickly diminishing, the novelty of his explosive reactions was beginning to lose its effect. The more I witnessed it happening, the less serious I seemed to take him. He was like a tantruming child, not knowing how to properly communicate his feelings and so instead exploding in a fit of frustration at the nearest victim of his anger.

I was cautious that there was gonna be another temper tantrum, especially since I said it with such carelessness, but was relieved when he only gave me a hard stare and snapped at me to not talk back to him, his voice a little louder than prior to my interruption (but still in his general gruff tone).

"_Tch_, what good is it for prey to be so damn annoying!?" He growled at me, his lips curling into a snarl that amplified his pissed off tone perfectly. He even went and aimed for my chest, grabbing a fistful of material and yanking me closer to him with enough strength for a _riiiip _sound to fill my ears. His snarling expression was now pressed inches from my own. I wasn't so happy about his nickname for me or the rough treatment…though I still decided a more docile reaction was needed.

"Geez, you don't have to call me prey, Subaru, you know my name after all…" I grumbled sulkily, a pout forming on my lips as my eyes reverted back to staring coolly at him. My stance became a much more relaxed one even though I was now on tiptoes- the only reason for my compromising position that I had to stop the thin fabric of my negligée shredding more while within his grasp. Subaru, surprised by my relatively passive state (Most would've cowered in fear at the explosive outburst, after all), slipped from his angered mask into a much more startled one. He cast me a curious look, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at me. I noticed his tense stance relax slightly while pondering at my strangeness.

Sometimes the best reaction to an anger-challenged vampire is having no reaction at all….

Seemingly not able to find an answer about my general lack of reaction, he huffed in annoyance, his cheeks heated from frustration as he begrudgingly let me out of his grasp. He noticed me curiously glancing at his reddened cheeks and reacted with a start, beginning to lecture (well, more like passive-aggressively snap at) me about how prey should learn the rules or it would cause problems for the rest of them. Beginning to talk down the 'shitty place' he found me in, he talked of how the goose chase to find me and the 'depressing' place I was eventually found in immensely pissed him off. I opened my mouth to object before stopping myself, thinking it would be better to just allow the vampire to let off some steam in a way that wouldn't damage anymore property- myself included.

While he (ranted on and on) was distracted from lecturing me, I began to inspect the rip he had made on my already revealing choice of clothing. I noticed that while it was only a small tear, it deepened the already plunging neckline in a terribly erotic manner. Still, I could ignore it easy enough_. I mean, my breasts were practically all out on display prior to the rip anyway..._

Tearing my attention away from my attire, I turned to look at the ranting vampire. I noticed how increasingly tense he was getting; the vein on his forehead pulsing angrily, his tense fists turning even paler than they naturally were, the fire in his scarlet eyes steadily radiating his enragement to the air…I was starting to lose the cool I'd just got back. How long before he started swinging his fists? I needed to get out of there…but how? I'd already concluded that getting past him was near impossible with his current (anger-centred) fixation on me, and the fact the only exit was behind him, I was quickly running out of options…

**He can teleport, fly, has faster reflexes than us AND is strong enough to crush us with his pinky- this overpowered bastard isn't built for letting his prey escape. We might just need to fuck it and literally…**_**fuck it.**_

_W-What the hell is that supposed to mean!?_

**Jesus fucking Christ, I'm not suggesting I whore out my vessel-we'll fuck around with 'em if and when we want to, not just to distract them from other less desirable acts! **_**Sigh**_**, Just...just tempt him into thinking you're gonna be easy prey, keep it subtle, not desperate, so that when he's about to bite, he'll let his guard down enough for us to-**

_-To, what? We have no power, remember? You said you can't tap into our body's natural power reserve. Unless, by some great miracle, it suddenly returns to you like with the Laito incident, but I'm really banking on luck to get me through. We're stuck here with him…_

**We could run the hell awa-**

_-The fleeing plan still doesn't let us leave scot free when you consider that letting his guard down will be a momentary action that will diminish the second we leave his grasp! He can catch up to us in a single leap and bound, besides, even if we DO escape and he somehow doesn't catch us with his teleporting or flight powers, I think he'll have a few things to say back at the mansion..._

My wicked counterpart's next helpful plan was considerably lacking in intelligence, my _**dark side **_not even trying to be creative as she instead began to fill my head with a string of profanities so vulgar a sailor would've cringed. She was frustrated by the lack of openings to escape. I was trying my best to ignore her as I glanced down and noticed Subaru's feet ever so subtly inching closer to mine, realising the inevitable situation of me physically in his grasp was getting increasingly closer to being reality the more distance he closed between us. But my gaze swiftly moved from the Vampire's feet to behind him when I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye.

Sure enough, it was the Kitsune.

He strode out of the darkness of the room with deliberate strides, each step carefully calculated as he finally stood just behind Subaru. His Katana was nowhere in sight, but the distrust he held was still just as an effective a weapon as a physical one was- along with the other assets even a normal fox possesses. You know, like _teeth_ and_ claws_. He stood slightly hunched, the tension in his muscles shifting into a much more relaxed hold than previously, his ears tilted up and outwards with intrigue. I watched closely as his tails gradually slowed from their angered quivering into a mellower swish, showing his anger of our intrusion was slowly being outweighed by something else. It was as if the Kitsune was gradually being enlightened by something. With his head slightly cocked to the side, his hat tilted back to reveal that his opaque eyes were still narrowed with disgust, but had lessened in intensity to instead highlight his sudden interest.

**HIM, that's it- use the damn furball to escape!**

I could feel my eyes begin the start of a dim glow as they stared intensely at the Kitsune, my mouth open slightly as I tried to figure out what its sudden posture change meant for my life.

**What the fuck are you doing!? Don't you see? If we get the Kitsune on our side, **_**he**_** can just attack Subaru instead of us! You can run back to the mansion without a scratch, and if Reiji asks, just tell him some unnatural force of nature got Subaru and because you, being a ignorant, stupid little human (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), got scared and ran away, leaving Subaru behind. It's perfect! Come on, use those cute amber orbs of ours to plead with the damn thing- quickly, before it turns aggressive again!**

It was one of the rare times that my _**dark side's**_ plan involved no violence or killing on _our_ side, and was instead surprisingly cunning in its execution- even if it did involve being the mastermind behind one of the prince's attacks. Beginning to use my eyes faint glow to my advantage, my eyebrows drooped into a sorrowful gaze, the lighting of my eyes highlighting the unshed tears in them and bringing forth a particularly shimmering quality. My slightly agape mouth moved to repeatedly mouth one word to him, hoping to bring out his merciful side. "Please, please, please…" I mouthed to him, hoping to appeal to his sense of responsibility as a samurai to help young maidens in danger. The Kitsune's expression nor stance changed, the Youkai seemingly frozen if not for it slowly swishing tails. Just as I'd saw its eyes flash with something, perhaps understanding, a voice brought me back to the reality of another situation.

"…Oi, I'm over here, why the hell are you looking away….?" Subaru asked- no, _demanded_\- to know in a flat tone, his drop in voice revealing a cold change. The striking change in his tone immediately led my eyes back to him, the tone reminding me of a mere couple hours ago when Laito did the exact same thing to get my attention. It was an effective move.

"I- Nothing, It was- I-I mean, I was…looking at…nothing…" I hurriedly muttered, my voice falling flat at the end when I realised I couldn't exactly explain my invisible friend, my hands up in defence as Subaru turned around for his eyes to meet nothing but the shadows of the room. I couldn't help but allow my wide eyes to briefly dart to the left of Subaru- expecting the Youkai to have disappeared back into the safety of shadows- only for me to see that the Kitsune was still standing there. Subaru turned back to face me once more, a fresh snarl on his face as he glared down at me condescendingly. His raised eyebrow showed me just how much of an idiot Subaru thought I was. I looked back to the vampire with forced innocence on my face, my nervous smile strained.

His reaction confirmed one thing…

**Yeah, defiantly….this goddamn vampire needs glasses ASAP!**

_No, Baka! It means that…vampires really can't see Yokai._

It had been hinted to me previously, when he'd mockingly asked me about my 'imaginary friends', but I couldn't really confirm the theory until he was staring directly at the kitsune and acted as if he saw nothing but air. I was in more of state of instinctive curiosity than outright surprise at the new fact, my previous experience with the churches prisoners having taught me that only select species of creatures were allowed the witness them. Some creatures I'd met could only see Yokai if the individual Yokai was willing to give them that privilege of sight, but whether Subaru couldn't see them at all or could with the right circumstances, it was clear that this particular Yokai wasn't about to let the vampire have any advantage over him anyway. The Kitsune was safe in the knowledge that he had the upper hand in this situation- Subaru didn't have the gift of sight, and the Kitsune could certainly still cause harm to both the vampire and myself regardless.

My gaze flicking back to Subaru, I watched the way he stood tense. Even though he had turned back around, his eyes still shifted suspiciously across the room. It was as if he could still _sense _someone's presence, even though his vision was failing him. Well, it was true that Yokai left quite distinct aura's that even ordinary humans could notice (usually described as a 'ghostly' presence), so who knew what the advanced senses of a vampire could pick up?

I had but a second to consider it though as Subaru unexpectedly reached out for me, seizing my shoulders as he stepped towards me and closed the already brief gap we had. I let out a squeak of surprise at the action, pitifully trying to pull myself backwards even though my back was already pressed firmly to the wall. My nails dug tensely into the wood. We were mere inches apart, his grip strong as I felt his fingers dig painfully into my shoulder and cause my already stiffened pose to worsen, my chest pressing forwards while I pushed my shoulders back and arched my spine. Incredible discomfort stabbed at me.

"Hey, are you fucking listening!?" He yelled in my ear, peeling me off the wall only to slam me back into it, his strength unsurprisingly inhuman. It clearly wasn't his full strength, nowhere near it, but it was enough to knock the wind out of me and cause waves of pain to ripple across my upper back. My head had whipped back in the motion as well, hitting the wall with a faint duff. The throbbing of the bruise synced with the deep, heavy beating of my shaken heart.

I bit my lip and took a sharp intake of breath to stop the whimper of pain that threatened to escape me, my eyes not daring to close for fear he would try something when I wasn't looking. I felt momentary fear stab my heart, and brief terror to run through my veins. Even so, I forced myself to look him in the eye, trying to convey whatever thread of dignity or bravery I still held. I tossed aside my alarmed gaze. Even through my now defiant glare, I could still feel the worry on my face; my furrowed brows, my jutting bottom lip and my eyes, whose amber colour had become much more vivid than normal, the fear ridden glow practically near its maximum luminosity. I didn't think Subaru had even noticed the change in my eyes however, he unfortunately too, for lack of a better word, 'blinded' by rage.

"_Baaaaaka_, that got your attention, eh? You're too naïve…" He muttered, his voice dropping to a gruff murmur. I didn't say a word, only the tiniest sniffle escaping me. I tried not to squirm as he bent his head down towards me, his lips skimming up and down my neck as his fringe fell forward to tickle my face, his intent clear. My hands, which were still by my side, tensely clawed at the wooden wall I was pressed against, splinters wedging under my broken fingernails. I took a sharp intake of breath. I could feel his cold breath on my skin as his lips continued to scour my neck in search of the perfect spot, a deep shiver travelling across the nerves of my skin. I tensed up my body, trying to force the involuntary shaking it was doing to cease. My head was held high as I tried to hold in the tears of humiliation that threatened to spill.

**F-Fuck! Dammit, why can't I do anything…why!? I need to get this fucking hot-headed albino off of me…dammit…dammit…I…I…need to, to…**

Even my _**Dark side's**_ voice was wavering, her voice shaking not from fear but from frustration at being forced to become so submissive. Still, we shared our emotions in the same body, and so I could sense that she was just refusing to admit that the thought of getting our blood drained rattled her more than she'd like to admit. With even my arrogant _**dark side**_ getting shaken, my resolve to stay strong was beginning to crumble.

Subaru knew, or more so felt, exactly what was going on with my inner feelings- the reason for my shaking like a leaf certainly not the chilly weather. Despite my preparedness of such situations and my natural ability to seem calm in tense events, I still was afraid of the chilling figure that loomed above me- I mean, who wouldn't be?

And the sadistic bastard fucking knew it.

I felt his lips finally stop at a particularly low area of my neck, the delicate spot connecting my neck to my shoulder, feeling the lips that lightly brushed against my skin suddenly stop to spread wide into a satisfied grin. He'd paused because he'd noticed the way I instinctively winced as he'd passed that particular spot, noticing how sensitive it was compared to the rest of my neck. Subaru had finally found what he was looking for- the most painful spot to penetrate me with his vile fangs. I heard him open his mouth beside me, the long, drawn out intake of breath reminding me of when Ayato was about to…to...I couldn't stay still any longer.

My clawing hands, which fingers were cramping from the sheer tenseness of the action, slowly dislodged themselves from the indents I'd created in the wall and was brought up in front of me. I grabbed a fistful of shirt on his chest and began to gently push back, staying careful, testing the waters. I couldn't say whatever snarky comment that came through my mind to Subaru like I could with Laito, no, he was much too quick to anger for that, not willing to laugh it off like the pervert could. I had to play it safe, fight back carefully, little by little, be wary not to push the boundaries without being too much of a useless pushover. I needed to be tactful, play to my strengths…which was certainly not physical strength. I swallowed my fear and spoke calmly to him.

"Please, Subaru…come on, can't we leave now? I'm sorry for leaving, I am, so can we please just…just go back to the mansion?" I quietly asked, my solemn voice surprisingly level considering how much my body was shaking. I looked up at him passively, my large orbs staring deeply into his in an attempt to appeal to whatever part of his mind was forgiving- I didn't want to use the word humane, since I was doubting if it even existed in creatures having never once been human. Subaru stared back at me with a narrowed gaze, unimpressed by my chillingly profound stare, a slight frown on his lips. But before he said anything, his expression gradually changed, his eyebrows slowly unknotting to instead shoot up into a somewhat shocked expression. I anxiously waited to see what he'd do, but was dismayed to see a disgusted snarl be planted on his face instead, his upper lip curling upwards in obvious displeasure. Crap, I almost had him...

"Well, that's new." He muttered under his breath in a disgusted manner, making me slightly confused about what he meant. Surely I can't have been the first person to plead with them, what was he talking about? But when he moved his face closer to my own, our noses mere inches apart, I realised he was staring at my eyes, still dutifully glowing as the luminosity of them continued to be powered by my anxiety. I stared blankly back at the boy, so close in proximity to me, unsure what to do since his hands still held a tight grip on my shoulders and I couldn't move back. I opted to stay perfectly still, knowing it was too late for Subaru to _un_see the glow. He continued to study me closely, eyebrows furrowed while his eyes flashed with bewilderment. I didn't bother speaking to defend my obscure eyes, knowing by that point that there was nothing to sa-

**Well no shit, he's already caught us talking to air, noticed how weirdly excited we got about the discovery of his flight and seen how calm we are about his little 'outbursts'…add on our little light show and he'd have to be a complete idiot to not notice how freaking strange we are, even if he just thought we were just ditzy lunatics with LED implants in our eye sockets!**

Damn, she was right, my social skills needed refreshing. I couldn't even seem normal to vampires…that was a whole new level of weirdness. I wasn't sure how long he stared straight into my eyes, both of us stiflingly silent in the heated air of the room. I could feel his cold breath blow across my face just as I was sure he could feel my warm breath on his, my urge to look away getting increasingly harder to not indulge in the longer he gazed at me, deep feelings of uncomfortability settling in my gut. What was he gonna do to me now he'd found the revealing giveaway to my inner power? I allowed myself to glance down from his eyes to his snarling mouth, my wilting willpower weakening even further as I noticed two especially sharp canines peeking out to greet me. I painfully gulped, my mouth suddenly dry at the site of them. Seeing the slight curve and razer point of his fangs so close to my face caused feelings of unnerve to whirl in the pit of my stomach.

Finally, after what felt like hours, he slowly moved his head back, his grip on me still as tight as ever, a conclusive _humph_ escaping his lips. "Eh, whatever, a meal's still a meal…even if I'm stuck with a freak like you" He scoffed, shaking his head and shrugging off my eyes as if were only a small convenience. It was my turn to be bewildered. I knew he was a vampire and was therefore pretty immune to supernatural occurrences…but the way he'd shrugged it off without even questioning it was something I'd never experienced before.

**Yeah, even Fedora Freak started 20 questions with us when he found out, though that was mostly due to his initial 'excitement' of it- but I guess this hothead would rather ignore it that question it. Heh, kinda shows off his careless nature, huh?**

I shouldn't have been surprised, all of the Sakamaki's personalities seemed so distinct from each other it would've made sense they'd all have their own reactions to me…though I knew I still had to at least attempt (hopefully better than currently) to keep my secret, me already having a slight suspicion which Sakamaki would feel death would be the easiest solution to their curious little sacrifice- regardless of his father's wishes. The first two Sakamaki's relatively fine reactions of me didn't comfort me in the slightest. I was still 100% sure they only acted that way because regardless of any abilities they suspect I may have….I would still be forever viewed as inferior to them.

And, as if to perfectly prove my theory about their lack of faith in my power to harm them, Subaru spontaneously decided to blurt out a rude comment. "Heh…even this close, you're very unappealing." Subaru mumbled to himself, one of his hands coming up to roughly grip my jaw and forcefully move it side to side, glancing at my facial features with distain. I spluttered in shock at the comment, glaring sideways at him in disbelief.

"E-Excuse me!?"

"_Humph_, you heard me. You're such a tiny little thing, and yet, I'm not sure if I can even get my fangs through all of…_that._" He sneered, letting go of my face to use that same hand to point at my body. I knew exactly what we was talking about.

**Is he fucking trying to say we're fat? IS HE FUCKING TRYING TO FUCKING SAY WE'RE FUCKING FAT!? WHO THE FUCK DOES HE THINK HE I-**

"-Ahh, but with the way you keep tempting me closer, you obviously want me to suck your blood…." Subaru added, lowering his voice to a whisper "...Meaning, you want to become my woman, right?" He whispered in a husky tone, his head bent down so that his mouth was right by the side of my head, lips so close they brushed against the tips of my pixie ears. I froze at the accusation, my eyes widening at his sudden change in tone. One minute he was calling me ugly and fat, and now…he was confronting me about leading him on?

I was speechless.

"Is that it, eh? Did you run all the way here because you were hoping for us to be alone, so I could suck your blood in peace and we could finally consummate this arrangement of sacrifice and vampire?" He teased me with his deep voice, his once tight grip on me loosening ever so slightly as he glanced sideways at me, his crimson eyes flashing with hunger.

**He's kidding, right? He better be joking…I think our relationship with Subaru is progressing too fast. We need to crush the delusion vampire's dreams.**

"W-what? No!" I gave an aggravated sigh. "Look Subaru, I'm not saying you aren't…_appealing _to the eye, but my attraction to you is purely aesthetics! I think we should at least have a civil conversation before I even consider becoming your woman, don't you?" I carefully worded my answer, an uneasy smile on my face as I tried to stop a humoured grin creep across my cheeks. I had to be serious, not laugh at my own words- words which were meant to be saving my skin.

I had always been too honest for my own good, and having been born without the little thing in your brain that made you feel shame, I tended to not think too much about the_ other_ consequences brought about by my tactlessness, you know, the ones besides the squirmy feelings of embarrassment I lacked? I should not be finding his words funny, but the random thought of having to reject a vampire's romantic advances suddenly popped into my head and it was strangely humouring to me. God, I was such an idiot. At least I had enough sense to _attempt _to hide my amusement from Subaru, who probably wouldn't have appreciated me laughing in his face.

Subaru, however, simply raised an eyebrow at my words, his face scrunched into a perplexed expression. He shook his head. It was as if he was accepting the oddness of the comment. But just when it seemed as if he was about to let my words go, his eyes flashed with understanding. He suddenly realised what I'd just admitted, his face frozen for a moment as the little gears in his head turned. A smug little smirk spread across his cheeks.

"_Ku ku_….ah, I get it. An indecisive woman such as yourself doesn't want to be tied down to one of us, is that it? You just want me to have a quick taste before you move on to seducing my brothers, eh? How shameless." I choked on air at his words, my bold honesty to him having been turned around into me becoming some kind of whore for being bitten. Since when did I mention anything like that?

**That would bring a whole new meaning to a term 'one night stand', huh?**

My fingers, which were still lightly resting on his chest from before, curled so I once again had two fistfuls of his school shirt in my palm. I began to carefully push against him again, harder this time, having found him much too close for comfort and finally feeling too uneasy to withstand it any longer. He didn't even move an inch.

"Urgh, look, it doesn't matter…can we please just leave this place?" I quietly asked him, my tone unashamedly laced with half-assed pleading. "Or at least give me some space? You're a little close…" I really needed to start thinking before I opened my mouth, it would prevent so many of my misfortunes in life. Like say, for example, pissing a temperamental vampire off with your careless blurting of your uncomfortableness of his presence? Yeah, that.

An angered '_ahh_?' escaped his lips at my words, his mouth opening into an enraged snarl. Before I knew it, Subaru's heated glared was followed by him swinging his leg, his foot connecting to a piece of wall between my legs. A large gaping hole was the result of the force. He didn't bother to hold back much strength with his strike, the momentum easily piercing the thin wall right through to the other side. The wind that followed the swing caused the skirt of my nightgown to fly up. Subaru would have been sneaking a peek at a lot more of me just as Laito had done if it hadn't have been for the fact I had learned from my previous mistake- I rushed to grab the bottom of the skirt and promptly tugged it back down. Self-consciously smoothing down my nightgown, I looked down at the space between my legs where a brand new hole greeted my widening eyes. The glow of my amber orbs flashed with shock, in time with my jolted pulse.

**That Yokai, that bloody Kitsune, is gonna be **_**sooo**_** pissed!**

I looked back up at Subaru to see him glare at the hole with disdain, an irritated _tch_ escaping his lips.

"…How annoying, the wall's more fragile that I thought...how lame." He mumbled under his breath, before shaking his head and turning back to me with a sharp jerk of his head. His angered glare was as piercing as the chill that now wafted through the hole. I narrowed my eyes at him. From behind him, I noticed flickers within the shadows, snarls and growls of outrage emitting from dozens of disembodied and widely differing voices. I knew without locating the source of the noise that they were Yokai- the ones I hadn't had the chance to meet yet. It made sense that the Warrior Kitsune and the glowing little lanterns weren't the only ones to reside within those walls.

I didn't dare make the same mistake twice by looking away from Subaru to investigate though, not wanting his next impulsive strike to be aimed at me. But I still heard them, a varied range of eerie whispers all meshed together in a collective group of disgust directed at both me and Subaru, their words cutting into me little by little. I could pick out some of the loudest voices from the bunch.

_"She's with one of them, the demon princes…the ones who take the liquid life to live."_

_"Bloodsucking scum, who do they think they are to taint our space with their demon aura?"_

_"Look at her, it won't be long before she succumbs to their evil and lets the darkness surround her soul- heh, if it isn't already. Then again, they do like their sacrifices pure, don't they? They enjoy the process of distinguishing the pure light that burns within their innocent souls…"_

_"But look, look, look, don't you see? Her soul, her soul, it's as strange as can be! The way the colours swirl, the shape and the smell…it's as if she under some kind of spell! Or perhaps a curse would be a better word, sh-_

_"Oh, do shut up ya stupid bastard, I'm sick of ya silly riddles! But I guess ya do 'ave a point….she defiantly ain't normal, is she? It's like someone's got two different souls, sewn 'em together and stuffed 'em into one body- There definitely be something off about this new sacrifice, ain't there?"_

I listened with wonder, pondering their words intensely. There was so much information they were giving me, but without full context, I wasn't really sure what they meant. But one thing was clear…those Yokai seemed to know more about the Sakamaki's lives and maybe even myself that I didn't know. I didn't really have any time to question their vague words though because a voice suddenly cut through their chatter, silencing the voices instantly. It was the Warrior Kitsune. Their leader.

_**"SILENCE! Are you idiots? Are you so busy gossiping to realise what that leech and his dinner has done to our home, our SANCTUARY!?"**_

I clenched my fists at the Kitsune's words, my frustration at the explosive vampire reaching new heights as I realised the full consequences of what he'd done. I was mad not only because he pissed off the one thing in this shrine that said would kill me, but because he showed me exactly how bratty princes like him cared about others besides themselves. Did he care so little about his surroundings that he would dare desecrate such a deep and complex gateway to creatures of beauty and otherworldly power- a world much more, even despite the Kitsune's hostility, civil than these vampire princes?! Before I even thought through what I was about to do, I outwardly voiced what I thought of his destructive bursts. I pushed him with all of my strength.

He still didn't budge an inch.

"What…what the hell do you think you're doing!? This shrine is a place of solace and peace for the Yokai that reside here, creatures of wisdom and beauty…this, this is not a place of destruction for a hot headed little bloodsucker who can't control his temp-" I was abruptly cut off as Subaru's hand once again found my shoulders, him wasting no time in digging his fingers into me with sudden strength. I was silenced instantly, the groan of pain that threatened to escape me caught in my throat so only the most minuscule of whimpers was revealed instead, me refusing to let him know of my pain. Though to be honest, with the way my face had contorted with agony, I thought he saw exactly what he was doing to me regardless. I was as fragile as fine china to him, my body crumpling in on itself as if the action would somehow escape his painful grip. I felt so small in his grasp.

He smirked, cocky in his power over me, a mumbled 'that's better' leaving his lips as he watched me squirm in silent suffering. After what seemed like forever, he slightly loosened his crushing grip on me, relieving just enough pressure for me to let out the breath I was holding, my tightly closed eyes slowly cracking open to witness his riled state. Despite my anger at him, my eye squinted with pain as well as defiance, my teeth clenched to stop any more whimpers from slipping through the cracks of my grimace. Despite the aching, I knew I had to stay strong, stay disobedient…I just also had to know when not to overdo it.

"Now listen, reeeally try to cram what I'm about to say into that slow little brain of yours" He ordered me in his gruff tone, his drawn out saying of 'reeeally' punctuated by a brief but effective squeeze of his already tense grip on me. "You'd better damn well listen to what I'm about to say, got it?" I begrudgingly paid my full attention to him, not wishing any further strength used against me. "_Never_ defy me." I stared blankly at him, eyes wide and unblinking. A trickle of alarm entered my bloodstream at his gravelly tone, effectively freezing my blood. "Yeah, it's true they said I couldn't kill you…if it wasn't for that, I would've killed you the moment I saw you…but understand I still don't want to deal with troublesome women." He paused to bring me forward, lifting me up so my ear was pressed against his lips. The very tips of my toes were now barely brushing against the floorboards, my petite frame hunched and heavily held up by the vampire's strength. "You'd better not waste my time, got it? If you're gonna be annoying and not listen to me, hehe, well then…" The dead silence that followed caused a feeling of dread to wash over me.

Then, without warning, Subaru struck.

He moved so fast the breath I was about to take stayed lodged in my throat, me literally choking on my shock at the action. It was so quick, so sudden, I wasn't prepared when the flash of movement whizzed past me, mere inches from my cheek. The distinct sound of wood planks crumbling under pressure soon followed pursuit. Breathing heavily, I stiffly glanced to the side of me to see the large indent in the wall, him having controlled his strength enough so as not to punch completely through the wall, but just enough to cause a deep dent in the woodwork. Splinters began to chip off and flutter down from the crater, creating a pile of dust beneath it. I couldn't help but then flinch as Subaru's other hand left my shoulder and came towards my face. I tried not to shiver in disgust while he snaked his arm around my upper back up to the back of my neck, now cradling my head in his palm. I gave him an uneasy gaze.

"Just like this wall- no, even worse than that…I'll beat the shit out of you until not even fragments are left behind."

I felt so uncomfortable under his fiery gaze I moved my line of vision to glance at my feet, which shifted uncomfortably from his heated tone. I bite my lip nervously. "I-I…" I honestly couldn't get my words out, not sure what to say after such a threat. So much for staying strong and defiant. I was literally a bumbling child right now.

**Tell him to fuck off, we don't appreciate his cynicism. **_**I**_**, for one, think we're pretty fucking amazing, perhaps a little troublesome, yes, but that's what makes our company so refreshi-**

_NOW IS NOT THE TIME!_ I screamed in my mind, a gasp of pain escaping me as the hand Subaru still had on the back of my head suddenly clenched shut, roughly grabbing a fistful of my hair and yanking my head back so that my neck was exposed. Tears gathered in my eyes as he roughly whipped it back, my neck screaming out in protest. This time, he was unyielding in his strength, making me feel as if he was one little tug away from breaking my neck. I couldn't move an inch.

"_Ku ku_…Ahh, that's just perfect. That scared little expression of yours is really doing it for me." A twisted grin grew on his face, it stretching so far across his cheeks he reminded me of Teddy's stitched smile. The crazed flash in his crimson stare struck fear in my heart with the same force as a knife being pushed through my chest. "Since you showed me such a good face, I'll give you a reward. I'll suck your blood, and then we can have that 'civilized conversation' afterwards, just as you requested." He was laughing at me now, chuckling darkly as brushed his lips across my neck, watching with amusement as I squirmed furiously at the action. "Come on, give yourself to me."

"Come on Subaru, please…" I begged him with an embarrassing amount of vulnerability in my tone, eyes shimmering with unshed tears that continued to accumulate. "…Don't do this inside a shrine, it's disrespectful to the Yokai…" Subaru half-heartedly grunted, more focused on nibbling at my neck, nipping ever so slightly at certain areas of my skin and seeing my reaction to it. He mumbled something about them being nothing but fairy tales made up by wishful humans, but it was hard to hear him properly as he had his lips against my skin. The vibrations of his words sent shivers across my neck. As I heard him open his mouth, clearly about to ultimately make that all important bite, I felt my heart jolt fiercely. Any chances that my powers would magically return to me at the last moment were dashed. This wasn't like the time with Laito. My body began to shake from the deep shock it got from finally facing the reality of the situation.

I was in a mirrored state, feeling just as I was when the triplets had tied me down during the time I couldn't contact my _**dark side**_. Once again, I didn't have my _**dark side**_ to rely on. I had spent so many years of my life trying to get rid of that part of me, then even more years learning to accept it, but my opinion on the powerful presence of my _**dark side**_ had never wavered when it came to how much it had saved my life. But ever since I'd gotten to the Sakamaki's, it had continued to let me down again and again. I wasn't even sure if the brief introduction it had with Laito could even be called a proper appearance, especially considering I didn't even use my _real _powers on him. I just hoped that my body would return to its normal state soon; back to when my _**dark sides**_ disembodied voice didn't speak to me whenever she wanted, but simply when I was in danger, back to when my body would actually be filled with power when my life was at risk….

But it seemed that my usually all powerful _**dark side**_ wasn't appreciating taking the submissive route to the vampires either, her never expecting our new position of slavery to the vampire princes turning out quite like this…

**NO, NO, NO! This doesn't happen to us, not US! We're not like those flimsy, pathetic humans who've wandered in the Sakamaki's hands unknowingly. Dammit, we volunteered for this to protect **_**her**_**, we knew we were facing a supernatural family…Vampires? Fangs? Bloodsucking? We could've easily dealt with it, just like back at the church…why, why did those fuckers have to give us that fucking injection and screw us over like this!? One minute I'm there, snarky as ever, the next I'm gone, one second our powers are as strong as ever, the next minute our body can't even activate it…**

Her frustrated ranting did have a point. Why could she activate the power within me so quickly when Laito was about to…well, _you know_…but when Subaru fitfully beats me up and tries to have my blood served on a platter, she could no longer access it? Both incidents were deserving of having my _**dark side**_ protect my body, surely?

Well, it was too late to complain about it now. Subaru was already opening his mouth, his razor fangs on display, beginning to lower his mouth towards my neck. A single tear rolled down my cheek as I anticipated the inevitable, already feeling his fangs begin to pierce my thro-

Without warning, the floor began to shake. It was small at first, barely a tremble, but it quickly turned violent. The tremors increased so much they didn't give me a chance to adjust or even process what was going on. The sudden unstableness of the ground was unexpected to both me and Subaru. I'd first thought it was just one of the many vampire's abilities- until I looked into his eyes and saw confusion reflected in them. My eyes widened with realisation that this wasn't some ploy by Subaru to further frighten me, a squeak of surprise launching from my lips as the earthquake's shakes abruptly jumped in intensity. I could feel the vibrations of the ground directly on the bare soles of my feet, the deep pounding of the unstable earth rippling up my body.

My balance began to falter the instant Subaru unexpectedly let his deadly grip on me go, Subaru taken aback by the shaking ground beneath his feet and becoming more concerned with trying to keep himself balanced than getting my blood. The sudden release from his grip caused me to lurch forward, my arms outstretched as I instinctively reacted to my freefall by clinging onto the closest thing to me- which happened to be Subaru. Just when I'd blindly stumbled from a sudden tremor, I grabbed onto his school blaze with a vice-like hold. It was now _my_ turn to tightly grip Subaru. My face was pressed against his chest, holding him unnecessarily tightly just so I could at least attempt to stay upright. Subaru clearly didn't appreciate the embrace, vocalized by the irritated grunt that escaped him from when I'd launched straight at him, but he didn't push me away either. Instead, he drew me closer, begrudgingly wrapping his arms around me as the little shrine began to shudder and groan.

The roof begun to hum an unhappy tune, flakes of crumbling roof tiles drifting down in a flurry of dull red while the walls began to moan, swaying in tune to the chorus of the throbbing earth. I cringed as the sounds of the collapsing structure began to grate at my ears. The strained beams that supported the roof let out a cry of pain as they splintered and cracked. I buried my head beneath Subaru's enclosed arms, peeking up to see his head was pointed upwards, eyes narrowed and teeth gritted as he frantically searched for the source of the earthquake. But just as it seemed as if the whole structure would descend unto us...it just stopped.

The ending of it was so abrupt, so jerky in its finale, it was almost as if I'd imagined the entire thing. The conclusion of the earthquake seemed almost like a let-down. The tremors increasing with such vigour only to stop cold, it felt like a cheat somehow. It was as if I was missing the real ending, the true result…though maybe it was just me being weird again.

**What…the fuck…was that?**

As the quivers of my body and the trembling of my hands slowly ebbed away, I tried to move my aching joints, only to find them screaming in protest at the prospect of movement- most likely due to the sheer tension and strain I'd put on them from gripping onto Subaru like a frightened child. Oh god. I'd forgotten that I was holding onto Subaru like a frightened child. I carefully turned my head upwards, warily glancing up at Subaru who still held me in a tight embrace. He glanced down at me in blatant frustration, probably from the sudden earthquake we'd just experienced, before common sense crept back into his mind and he finally noticed our intimate position. His widened eyes made him look utterly startled, his jaw slack as he peered down at the tiny little girl in his arms as if I'd magically appeared there and he'd had nothing to do with it. I gazed back at him passively, a bewildered frown on my face, calmly waiting for a reaction from him with only the slightest bit of caution. Would he be angry at me? I was surprised to discover a rush of scarlet enter his cheeks, the once pale face now being flooded with heat. Was Subaru…embarrassed by our position? It hadn't even crossed my mind that the vampire could feel such awkward emotions, especially when he was unashamed enough to rough me around and sink his teeth into me…but I guess you learnt something new every day. I stared at Subaru with eyebrows furrowed, my head innocently tilted in thought as I flashed him a faint (but humoured) smile at his flustered state. Subaru didn't find it so funny however.

His face twisted into an irritated once more before he roughly shoved me away from him with unrestrained strength, hurling my body back at breaking speed. A yell erupted from my mouth before my back slammed into a wall, my head snapping back to kiss the wood with an audible crack. A pain inflicted groan followed the action- just as pain did. The sheer force of the blow caused my legs to buckle beneath me, me now falling heavily to the ground. I landed on my knees.

**Well Shit, was that really necessary? **

I clutched my throbbing head with one hand while the other was placed on the wall to help steady me, the room spinning wildly. Ignoring the vertigo, I gazed up at Subaru with a hauntingly chilly gaze, a deep pout set into my disappointed expression. I was done being scared- Now, I only felt cold bitterness. He stared at me with a somewhat soft expression, perhaps of regret, but the look was so fleeting it didn't make a difference to how I felt toward the bastard. Besides, he soon reverted back into his typical gruff snarl. He crouched down, reaching out his hand as if to grab my neck before pausing just a few inches from it, fingers still outstretched.

"Ugh, that stupid earthquakes ruined the mood, forget it." He scoffed, glaring at me with untamed hatred as if _I'd_ somehow caused the bloody tremors. He curled his fingers back and smoothly stood up, hands in jeans pocket as stared down condescendingly at my fallen form, a crooked smirk playing on his lips. "_Humph_, I had planned to make my mark on you here, and kill you if I felt your blood was too disgusting…but l guess you could be fun, so I'll let you enjoy life for a while longer." I left out a heavy breath at his words, trying to slow my breathing down as my chest rose and fell at a quickened pace. I was trying to control my urge to angrily scream in his stupidly smug face. Sure, I was still semi-nervous he still had more heavy handed acts to dish out to me, but that fear was quickly diminishing the more my distaste of the vampire filled my mouth. He began to walk towards the door before pausing just in front of it, talking to me from over his shoulder. "Heh, but only until you become boring and I get sick of you, of course…now hurry up and get yourself together so we can leave, I ain't taking any crap from Reiji just cause you're taking too long." He finished his speech with a careless wave of his hand, a dismissive gesture, before I watched him turn to the door and swing his leg back. I visibly cringed as he deliberately kicked the frame of the door, causing the sliding door's wooden structure to cave in itself, now just a large gaping hole where the door should be. Stepping over the newly created rubble, hands still in pockets, he left the shrine without a second glance, him vaguely muttering about how I only had 2 minutes before he dragged me out of here. The sliding door's thin paper cover had already been gashed, so the entire purpose of him completely destroying the door had been purely for the fun and effect of it. He was such a dick to architecture.

**Well, at least he's considerate enough to give you chance to collect yourself after that **_**onslaught of bullshit,**_** eh?**

I was too tired to reply to her, even if it was only mentally. Subaru had just taken me on his own personal roller-coaster of emotions- he was clearly working through some anger issues. He went from slightly pissed, to very pissed and even all the way to the end of the spectrum- _extremely_ pissed- in a matter of minutes. If I was honest, his violent temper wasn't as unpredictable as I'd expected, Subaru having a pretty clear formula to what angers him: literally _anything_ I'm doing, whether it be standing, breathing or just generally living. _I guess I'll just avoid those things in the future and we can become the best of friends, right?_ I shook my head at my pathetic excuse for a joke, trying to instead focus on getting my legs to respond to my commands.

I looked down at myself with a cringe. I was a mess, the tattered nightgown I'd coated with mud now had the added design of wooden splinters clinging to the skirts, my face and hair smeared with dust unsettled from Mister-Wrecking-Ball barging into the shrine. Gently touching the back of my head, I winced as the tender spot throbbed painfully in response to the light pressure. I already knew the sort of large bruise that would form underneath my mane of hair, which at the moment was sticking out at odd angles, my fringe limply clinging to my forehead with the natural gel known as sweat. I moved my hands to my aching neck, still creaking in protest from being stretched so far back earlier, and felt the tiniest pin pricks where Subaru had been about to pierce my skin, the earthquake thankfully having stopped him from fully breaking the skin. I felt a shiver crawl up my spine at how close he'd been to actually biting my neck, before sighing and trying not to over react at the fact. After all, one of the princes were gonna do it eventually.

Placing my hands on the wall I was leaning against, I used it as leverage to drag myself back to a standing state. Despite my best efforts, I was much like Bambi on ice and my trembling legs did need a few practice attempts before they finally co-operated enough to support my weight. By the _fourth _time I'd lost my footing and landed harshly on my knees, I finally managed to dig my bitten fingers into the grooves of the wall and drag myself up. I still kept one hand on the wall once I finally stood up, just in case of unexpected limb failure.

I looked around the little Shrine with deep shame, guilt welling up inside of me as I realised what I'd let happen just because I'd sought a shelter away from the vampires- I'd unknowingly pathed a path of destruction. Though what was quite bewildering to me was the fact that the earthquake hadn't seemed as if it had damaged the place any further than what Subaru had done. There were no signs of additional damage in any corner of the room. It was that curiosity that made me pause at the door- or what was now the giant hole in the wall.

I moved towards the table in the back of the room, running a finger down the centre of it before lifting it to see the layer of grime now collected at the tip of my finger. It didn't make sense that the layer of dust coating the table's surface was still so deeply settled. I then looked to the wooden bowl and box placed atop the table, thinking that it was still in the exact same place to prior the earthquake. My eyebrows became furrowed with perplexity.

_**"Problem, child?"**_ A voice boomed from the shadows, causing me to jump with fright. I hastily turned to stare at the Kitsune, his stance casual, his tails swishing in time to his deep breathing. Remorse struck my heart when I met his eyes, the silver slits swirling with intensity. His current feelings were unknown to me, but I quickly deduced that Subaru's respect (or lack thereof) towards his home could only lead to bitter hatred towards me as well as Subaru. I turned to look down at my feet, eyebrows curved downwards in guilt. I felt tears well up in my eyes, and I sought not to cry in front of the creature, stifling my fitful whimpers as I childishly clung tightly to the bottom of my skirts.

"I…I'm so sorry, dear Kitsune, for the way my vampire companion has treated your sacred home. When I sought shelter here, guided by the lanterns that lit the way, I, I…I never ever expected a creature with such anger in his heart to be sent to escort me back…Please, please, please forgive his actions on my behalf, and so too forget my carelessness, I truly don't wish to die by your hand because of that vampire's actions, please, please." I rambled pathetically, bowing deeply- or, as far as I could in the skimpy negligée without having my ass or breasts peeking through- in an attempt to be as sincere and respectful to the creature as possible. I stayed in that bowed position, nervously waiting for the Kitsune's answer as I gazed sorrowfully at the floor. Silence met my apology, the Kitsune completely still, save for its swishing tails. He was deliberating whether to look over both mine and Subaru's mistakes. My body was tense with impatience, anxiety beginning to seep through my mind.

Eventually, the Kitsune sighed, a gravelly sound that erupted from deep in his chest. _**"Raise your head, child, I accept your apology, despite it being quite…mediocre. I observed the way the leech treat you with such blatant disregard. Just as he has tainted my home with his sin, so too did he attack you with the intention of tainting another sacred temple- your body."**_ He spoke deeply, wisely, his voice tranquil. It was a stark contrast from before. His ears twitched as he moved from his proud stance to walking towards me, dominating in atmosphere, but not done in a deliberately threatening way. It just seemed as if he had that dominating aura around him naturally. _**"I know you tried your best to make him leave, even foolishly putting yourself in danger to protect and defend our pride as Yokai. You have proved yourself as someone who greatly respects and appreciates a Yokai's importance in life, and for that you have earned a free pass- I shall overlook your rude intrusion into my home and the destruction that followed that action."**_ It seemed the Kitsune had finally realised the pointlessness of his anger towards me, now realising Subaru was the real threat to him. My efforts to earn its trust were clearly not in vain. I put my hands together as in prayer, hastily mumbling 'bless you, bless you!' under my breath at the Kitsune's forgiving nature.

He stopped walking to land just in front of me, the closeness of him now revealing the true essence of his magical prowess. He had small wisps of red fire emitting from his body, mostly from the tip of his many tails, them floating faintly into the air before disappearing in thin wisps of smoke. The little trails of fire weaved and swum in his grey and brown fur like earthworms, each different flicker of the faint flames seemingly having a life of its own as they danced in and out of view. It was both beautiful and frightening- just as I described the Sakamaki's as. It seemed he had not revealed this show of power to me before because he was using the shadows as a cover, but now he seemed comfortable enough to reveal the stunning aura that surrounded him. Just as my glowing eyes were an insight into the power locked deep within me, the Kitsune's fur of faint flames were a peek into the immense power he possessed.

The Kitsune looked up at me with his opaque eyes, centuries of wisdom held within them. I understood then that even Subaru, a vampire having most undoubtedly lived many more lifetimes than me, was but a child to this creature. The chilly detachment in his eyes reflected the pain he'd witnessed in that time.

_**"You had better hurry now, child, those bloodsuckers aren't ones for patience."**_ I nodded my head quickly, a sombre expression on my face. As I scurried towards the door, I stopped just as I put one leg over the pile of rubble.

"That earthquake…wasn't an earthquake at all, was it? It was you, huh?" I quietly asked, glancing at him from the corner of my eye. He didn't say a word, but I took the silence as confirmation rather than denial. I let out a small, grateful smile. "Thank you, you intervened during a very bad situation, I really appreciate you preventing such a-"

The Kitsune laughed, a deep, bellowing sound that easily filled up the room. I stuttered to a halt, tilting my head in confusion at him. He slowed his laughing and looked up at me, his lips stretching back into a toothy grin.

_**"Do not be foolish, young one, I did not do this to protect the likes of you!" **_I was taken aback by the confession, mouth agape in surprise at his words. _**"Do not confuse my appreciation of your respect of me, or my approval of your knowledge of my kind, as some sort of sign of trust or bond. I was simply voicing my desire to let you know I shall not kill such a girl who's clearly been involved in the world of Yokai for much of her life."**_ My eyebrows drooped in disappointment. _**"Haha, no, silly human, I was simply protecting this sacred area from wrongly spilt blood, I would never allow a vampire to feed on my grounds…"**_ His laughing suddenly dimmed when his ears began to madly twitch. He abruptly jerked his head to the right of me, growling in annoyance at something directly behind me. Just as I was about to wonder why he suddenly tensed, I heard a voice call out from the distance.

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE, HURRY UP! I can't go back without you or else that bastard will be a nuisance- if I have to come in there and drag you out myself…" Subaru's warning tone called up from the bottom of the stairs, irritation evident in his tone as he mentioned who I presumed was the controlling vampire Reiji (he seemed to be the one in charge, after all). The Kitsune must have picked up Subaru's grumbling just before he called out to me, the reason for his swiftly moving ears. I jolted into life at his words as I took one long last look at the Kitsune before turning tail and rushing to Subaru. I didn't want to risk the destructive vampire coming back anywhere near the Kitsune's home.

Though the Kitsune had one last warning to give me just before I was out of earshot.

_**"Oh, I almost forget. For your own good child, I wouldn't return here. I'm sorry, I know you mean well, but I cannot have my people near those associated with our demon neighbours in any way- and that includes any involvement with their sacrifices**_." As I picked up the pace, I could hear the Yokai, the hidden voices from before, spring back into life at my departure as well, wanting to get their final words wedged into my mind too. They were chanting something, a sombre feel to their tone.

_**"They are the darkness, smothering the light burning bright within you, until you are left with nothing but an empty body, a shell of who you were. You will be their doll, to do with whatever they wish…"**_

I shivered at their tone, the chant repeated over and over, lingering in my thoughts long after I reached the top of the stairs, where they're voices had finally drifted into the territory of indistinguishable mumbles. Practically launching myself down the old stone staircase, I shook my head to rid it of the Yokai, already knowing I wouldn't be able to return there, as told by the Kitsune in charge. Unfortunately for me, I was too busy being the air headed person I was, deep in thought about the Yokai problem, to remember how slippery the steps were on the way up. A scream erupted from my mouth as I slipped on a step near the top of the crumbling staircase.

I was propelled forwards, outstretched arms flailing, eyes closed. As I tensely awaited the cold hard ground to greet me, I was (pleasantly?) surprised when my awaiting body didn't get to kiss the forest floor, instead slamming into something a little softer- Subaru's arms. They were still painful to meet when going at such a rapid speed, but it was a considerable improvement than the ground, even if Subaru was none too happy about it. He had teleported up to catch me mid-fall, wrapping his arms around me while I instinctively curled my body against him. I knew he had teleported to catch me because when I'd peaked downwards, I'd noticed a few feet of space between our feet and the ground. When the stomach-dropping feelings of plummeting into the earth subsided, I moved my head to glance innocently up at Subaru, an exasperated glare returned to me. I cast him a sheepish grin, Subaru's eyebrows furrowing further at the expression.

"Baaaka! Are you a damn child, incapable of taking care of yourself for 2 minutes without bringing your weak little body any sort of harm or trouble!?" He grumbled, an eyebrow raised questioningly at me. He seemed more irritated than angry towards me by this point. I simply muttered _"You're one to talk about bringing my body harm or trouble"_ under my breath before Subaru grunted and precipitously let go of me, having finished floating down the rest of the steep staircase. A squeak of surprise left me as I landed heavily on hands and knees, the fall only a few feet, but the lack of warning giving me further scrapes and scratches on my already muddied and bloodied body. I quickly scrambled back to my feet, giving a brief look of annoyance his way before quickly letting it go.

He'd already done worse crap to me in the past fifteen minutes than a simple drop of a few feet, so I didn't bother starting another fight with him because of his stupid little trick. But while attempting to smooth down my negligée, I felt a drop of liquid hit my cheek, causing me to pause. Slowly touching the now damp skin, I flinched as a more drops landed on my head and before I knew it, those few drops turned into a steady downpour.

_Crap, this is just what I need right now_, I thought miserably, shaking my head like a dog, the strands already clinging wetly to my head. The change of weather brought my mind to the pink negligée I was wearing- a piece of nightwear that was partially transparent already! Yes, think about that for a second, a _thin _piece of _silk_ that was already _semi-transparent_…was now _soaking wet_. You could visibly see the outline of my breasts (my nipples thankfully covered by my black bra), the nightwear clinging persistently to every edge and curve of my body. It truly didn't leave anything to the imagination. The short length of the negligée was made worse as the material clung to my round posterior, making the skirt ride up instead of hang down. I stared at myself, and then remembering my escort, raised my head to subtly glance at Subaru.

The bastard was looking at my body in an up and down sort of pattern, his eyes practically bulging at the complete lack of modesty. I cast him a cautious expression, thinking back to Laito's actions and wishing to avoid a repeat- but the cocky behaviour Subaru had displayed in the shrine seemed to be non-existent in this moment. I watched as a deep blush spread across his cheeks, his mouth agape in shock. I was confused as to where that confident 'You wanna be my woman?' attitude went, but currently, Subaru was the equivalent of a red faced tween seeing boobs for the first time. It was just like when we'd embraced because of the earthquake and he'd blushed furiously when he'd realised my breasts were pressed against his chest…

Subaru didn't seem to take recognising the female form very well.

"Errm…Subaru?" I piped up, concerned about how much blood was rushing to his head (and his _other_ head), him looking as if he was about to faint. But when Subaru finally snapped out of the trance he was in, looking up at my eyes instead of my chest, his awareness of his own embarrassment was triggered.

"W-W-What the hell are you w-wearing!?" He spluttered, him realising how dumbfounded he sounded and immediately clearing his throat, glancing away as he coughed. What was wrong with him? He's more embarrassed than _me_.

**Honestly, I'm more concerned with catching a cold than dealing with horny vampires right now.**

This time when he spoke, his voice returned to its usual gruffness. "Why did you run away with an outfit that flimsy? For God's sake, who leaves the house in something like that!?" I couldn't think of a reasonable reason for my hiking choice of clothing, so I simply shrugged, an uneasy smile planted on my face as I scratched the back of my head sheepishly. I swallowed down the wince that threatened to escape me when I brushed over my tender bruise. He sent me a disgraced look, not sure how to react to my stupidity, before talking one long look at me and tsking with annoyance. Beginning to feel awkward under his gaze, I told him we should probably be going now, turning to walk towards the woods, only for a pale hand to reach out and grab me by the wrist, forcing me to stop mid-step. I glanced back at him, flinching as I noticed movement, expecting him to punish me for ordering him around or something. He sighed deeply before clearing his throat, so that I properly paid attention to what caused that flash of movement. Peeking at his other hand, the one not gripping my wrist, I saw that the thing he was handing me was not a fist to the face but…his jacket?

I looked back up at him in bewilderment, only to see that the heat in Subaru's cheeks had been rekindled, him looking away and mumbling under his breath something about covering up my displeasing appearance. I glanced at the jacket in his hand, then back at Subaru, hesitant to grab it in case of it being some sort of joke. Subaru, annoyed by my unwillingness to grab the article of clothing, aggressively shoved it into my arms, letting go of my wrist so I had two hands to clumsily catch it. I looked down blankly at the cloth in my grasp, then back up to Subaru. He began to growl.

"What, do I need to show you how to dress yourself? It's a blazer, _**put it on**_!" He snapped with exasperation. He stood with an aloof air, his hands in his pocket while refusing to look me in the eye. He had quite a bashful look about him, the red on his cheeks still not dying down even as his lips were curled with disgust. I wasn't sure if he was doing this act out of kindness and was just trying to hide it through his grouchy exterior, or if he was just doing this so he didn't have to look at my 'displeasing' body and was hiding that fact through a seemingly kind gesture…I was hoping it was the former. But my gut seemed to be telling me that maybe, just maybe, he was just a shy little boy in a terrifyingly enraged teenager's body.

**Awww, bless the poor little vampire, using his anger as a way to hide that insecure little girl that screams in the innermost sensitive parts of his mind…how adorable.**

I flashed Subaru a small, fleeting smile of gratitude before carefully slipping my arms through the blazer sleeves. But what I found when I did put it on, was that it did not fit like a glove. I was drowning in the school item, the sleeves completely covering my hands so that almost half the sleeves dangled limply passed my fingertips. The actual blazer body was baggy, the shoulder pads hunched and bulgy. I felt like a child wearing their parent's clothes when playing pretend. Curse my lack of height. I struggled to keep the outfit from drooping, the blazer repeatedly slipping off of my shoulders. After I rolled up the sleeves- many, many times- and zipped it up so that there was less chance it literally dropping off of me, I looked up to Subaru. He was glaring at me unhappily, sounds of annoyance escaping his lips every few seconds. He began to walk towards the edge of the forest, forcing me to rush so my stubby legs could keep up with his long strides.

"H-Hey, wait up!" I called out to him with heavy breathes, speed walking to his side. We walked quietly for the next few minutes, silence passing between us as I walked meekly, my head held down as I twiddled my thumbs absently. Subaru strode with a troubled aura about him, like being mad at the world was just his regular factory setting, his top lip curled upwards in a permanently irritated snarl.

Finding the silence more damaging to Subaru's anger than helping, I sought to find something to say. "Errm, so…Subaru, hehe, I don't suppose I can borrow your shoes as well as your jacket?" I awkwardly joked, this wide grin on my face as if the past events from a measly 15 minutes ago didn't happen. Subaru glared silently at me from the corner of his eye. "Hehe, you know, it's just I've been walking barefoot this whole time and…well, they aren't a pretty sight." To prove my point, I stopped walking to wiggle my toes, where leaves kept getting stuck inbetween them. Lifting them up towards his face, I revealed the almost black colour of them. They were completely covered in a thick layer of dried mud, the rain now gradually wetting my feet enough for the layer to trickle down them in streaks of brown sludge. Beneath the mud was revealed to be various cuts and scratches from my trek through the forest, the once sharp stinging of them having gone numb a long time ago. I'm not even gonna start describing the state of my toenails. Subaru recoiled from the sight of my feet, a somewhat horrified expression flashing across his face before he sighed deeply, his eyes growing dull as he slapped a palm to his forehead.

"Why the hell did you leave witho- you know what, I'm not gonna ask." he muttered under his breath, staring intently into the distance before wrinkling his nose in thought. "The mansion's still a good 35 minutes away on foot, and that's only if we jog, I don't have that sort of time…" Then without warning, he picked me up bridal style, one hand supporting my back while the other scooping under my knees to support my legs. A sharp intake of breath left my lips at the sudden movement, me clumsily wrapping my arms around Subaru's neck as a default reaction to the unexpected hold. I look up at him in bewilderment. A humoured grin slowly spread across his cheeks, a twinkle of mischief in his crimson eyes, before he began to bend his knees, bracing himself for something. My eyes widened as I quickly realised what we was about to do.

"W-W-Wait Subaru, think about this for a sec-AAARRRGH!" A terrified yell erupted from deep within me as his body and mine were launched into the sky. It created a whirlwind of air around us. I clung onto Subaru tighter as I felt myself naturally slipping from his arms, my legs kicking out as I flailed in panic. The thick cluster of leaves from trees blocked our escape into open air as Branches reached out to claw at us, Subaru forcing his way through them until we burst through the foliage in an explosion of green. Realising my flailing was jostling me more than Subaru's flight was, I gradually calmed myself until I sat comfortably within Subaru's embrace, resting against him. I still clung to his neck tightly, but I let my legs comfortably dangle, my face pressed with fright against his chest, which only had a shirt to protect him from the gusts of wind since I now possessed his jacket. Just like Ayato, I couldn't hear a heartbeat beneath his chest nor feel a pulse. Both mine and Subaru's hair whipped across our faces furiously as we continued floating upwards at a record speed. A deep plunging in the pit of my gut causing my stomach to contract, just like how you'd feel when going down a steep roller-coaster. My reaction caused great humour for Subaru, who began to boom with laughter as he abruptly stopped flying upwards to instead hover in the air.

The sudden halt jolted my body upwards, causing a whimper of fright to escape me when I felt myself slip from his grasp slightly. His laughter came from deep in his chest, causing it rumble against my cheek, my face still pressed him. I mumbled a string of profanities at his actions, Subaru lightly teasing me as he said he'd drop me at any time if I was rude to him. My fear now being replaced with annoyance, I only pouted at his words. Another low chuckle left his lips as he shook his head at me, before tilting his body to a more slanted angle, carelessly juggling me around so that I still stayed in the same horizontal position as before. I squeezed his neck as little tighter, nuzzling his neck with my cheek as he rushed off towards the mansion without giving me any time to adjust to the speed. _He could've at least done a warmup speed before just zooming off…what a jerk._

I quickly got used to the speed though, Subaru making the trip a surprisingly smooth ride. As my frantic breathing slowed into a more soothed state, a somewhat content sigh escaped me as I felt safe enough to finally move my face from his neck, turning my head to witness inky blue completely surrounding us. We were so high up above the canopies that I felt that me and Subaru were the only the only two things in the very world, the very universe. The silver winking of stars surrounded our every line of sight while the large, faintly glowing moon served as a beautiful backdrop. It was so large this high up, so round, the moon (almost full) a truly spectacular sight that made a strange heavy feeling settle in my chest.

It was as if something very dense within me also made me feel weightless at the same time...it was a strange, conflicting emotion. I felt like I was about to cry or maybe laugh, but from what emotion exactly, it was hard to say. All I knew was that it was almost painful to wade in the complex emotion, it filling me with such a sense of childlike euphoria I wasn't sure if it was a negative emotion or not. But while I stared dewy-eyed and slack jawed in astonishment, Subaru was still having his fun.

"Damn, this prey needs to go on a diet. I'm already running out of breath and I've only been carrying you for a couple of minutes" He complained, a groan escaping him. Too overwhelmed by this new perspective on life, this elevated view a feeling entirely surreal- especially when compared to the view you see through any airplane window- I decided to let Subaru's comment go. I chose to forget, even if momentarily, about his actions back at the shrine.

A lazy giggle escaped me as I rested my head against the crook of his neck again, this time in a much less terrified state, curling my body up against him. I had given up trying to put on my brave front, too tired to keep up my mistrust of him any longer. I knew he was dangerous and could drop me at any moment, but I was too exhausted- both mentally and physically- to care. Besides, despite the real reasons behind the journey method, being the tag along of his little flight was a beautiful thing to be a part of. I almost felt as if it made up for the crap he'd pulled at the shrine...almost.

"Yeah, well maybe you've just been neglecting your workout duties…I thought vampires were supposed to be super strong? Don't you have, like, vampire steroids or something you can take for this sort of thing if not?"

It was a strange ride home, and an even stranger journey to get to this point, but what did I expect? I live with vampires now! Living with 6 vampires, princes of an entire species, was going to an entirely new experience for me. Even if the creatures at the church had given me training in dealing with beasts beforehand…I certainly wasn't handling these unique creatures very well. Maybe I should step up my game a bit?

* * *

_**Being strong and standing your ground doesn't always mean throwing fists. Being strong is having the strength to know when a battle can't be won and still not resorting to tactless violence- the easy route. Fighting back means using the strength of your willpower instead of your muscles: knowing when it is best to lay down your sword and allow yourself to be defenceless, and when to sharpen your knife for later use…**_

* * *

_**HI! How you doing? What do you think of my newest chapter? Do you like it? Or not? All opinions are appreciated ;)**_

SOOOO, yeah...a lot has happened in this chapter. It's been a while so I made it nice and long :) It was only supposed to be about 10,00 words, it gonna end much sooner than it did, so about 17,000 is a gift, appreciate it! But yeah, I decided to make Subaru the one to catch her, simply because I enjoy Subaru breaking anything and everything in sight, and getting Akako beaten up soooo...there's a lot of destruction in this chapter. I tried not to make it entirely terrible, poor akako getting bullied by Subaru, so I of course tried to sprinkle in some TSUN in there ;) But not too much, because this is first time they were alone together and I didn't want Subaru to go full TSUNBARU yet!

Oh, and for all those who have only watched the anime and not played the game, you may be a little confused about why he's so much more of a dick than in the anime...this is cause he IS _(cough, cough **HAS**)_ a huge dick in the game and I based this chapter on his dark prologue. In fact, in his dark prologue in the game, the first damn scene after the intro, he actually BITES Yui in this scene, roughly and unapologetically as well (not that hesitant, gentle shoulder bite from the anime!), but I felt like taking some of the TSUNbaru from the anime and not having that happen so early...who shall be Akako's first, I wonder? But yeah, he still is to blush a lot and be a tsundere sometimes...there wasn't a lot of that in the game until towards the middle of his route- but i decided he shall be TSUN straight away! MWUHAHAHAHA...I love you TSUNbaru baby xxxx

Oh, and the kitsune, well that was hard to write. I didn't want him to take up a lot of the chapter since this is SUbaru's chapter, but at the same time I didn't want him to randomly disappear or that wouldn't make sense, you know? By the way do you guys like the fact she can see spirit/Yokai? do you want a lot of Yokai in the story, or just for it to be a rare occasion? either way, there will definitely be more Yokai in the future, as for how regular they show up idk.

But anyway, this is the five chapter of my story, so please guys, let me know what you think of my story so far! You like it, or nah? what I'm basically saying it...GIVE ME REVIEWS BLARRRGHHHLALALALOJN! I also appreciate any ideas/scenes with Akako you think would be cool to read in the future ,so don't be afraid to tell me via review or private messaging! I may actually write it!

I'm sorry for any grammar mistakes this chapter, unfortunately my beta can no longer check my work for that and I'm in the middle of finding someone new, if any of you want to proofread my work, you can send me a message if you want to help :D I'm also looking for someone who knows a lot about Diabolik lovers so I can talk through scenarios I want to write and make sure the boys don't become OOC, so again, if you wanna help, just send me a message :D

**So please leave a review if you're feeling kind and you got a little time to show your love, I'd love to know your thoughts on the overall chapter and storyline? If not, thats fine guys cause you can alway show your support through other means ;)**

**...(I of course mean following my story or favoriting it...nothing else...HONEST!)**

You don't have to worry because I promise to update soon, so until then, see ya! ;)


	6. Falling from grace

Subaru, the violent albino who liked to pick girls up bridal-style to fly them back to his family's gothic mansion of hell, continued to prove that he didn't have an ounce of decency or compassion in his bones at all.

Once we'd arrived back at the mansion, I'd expected Subaru to swoop down and drop me off right by the front porch- a foolish thought to think, in hindsight. What actually happened was that Subaru flew right up towards the mansion only to abruptly halt all the way up by the second story level, idly hovering with me still clinging to him tightly. It was still pouring it down with rain as well.

The moment he stopped flying, our brief but strained truce finally reached the end of its tether. Subaru tried to once again drop me onto the ground, this time upgrading from a mere few feet to a few _hundred_ feet instead. There was no way, especially after all the shit he'd pulled back at the church, I was gonna let him batter my increasingly bruising body with the same damn trick from before. It seemed a little awkward banter on the journey back to the mansion was not enough to suddenly patch up his clear animosity towards me. This bastard wanted to legitimately kill me! I put my plan into action. Just as he pulled his arms out from underneath my body, my own arms, which were already around his neck, suddenly stiffened so they were locked together. While Subaru had now let my feet dangle down, my new hold became suited to put all of my upper body strength into not falling to my impending doom. I refused to let go even when he'd stopped supporting my body. Subaru, despite his obvious vampiric strength, was not prepared to fully support my body with just his neck, and so immediately began to hunch from the pinpointed weight.

"A-ACK! Get the fuck off of me, B-Baka!" He yelled in surprise, his voice gruff as his hands instinctively splayed out to balance himself. His vertical float was gradually tilting into a horizontal hover. Even so, I continued to cling onto him, eyebrows narrowed and teeth gritted with stubborn determination as I swung my legs up to attempt to wrap them around his waist. It was difficult though, especially with the rain soaking our bodies and making it even harder to get a hold on him. After a few failed attempts, including a few that jolted my body so much I slipped myself into some near-fatal situations, I finally managed to swing my legs up hard enough so that they could wrap around his waist. My ankles crossed over each other behind him, ensuring I had a tight hold on him. My hands- which were strongly clamped to the other's wrists- held up strong as I almost strangled Subaru with my choke hold. I must have looked like a wrestler in that moment, trying to take my mighty opponent down.

_**Aaaaaand **_**here we have tiny terror Akako, going up against big dog Subaru- whose bite is definitely worse than his bark! Her life has been ruff so far, but will this mutt finally get one step ahead in this ruthless pound and take down the Albino pedigree with the big bad bark-**

_Now. Is. Not. The. TIME!_ I screamed in my mind, frustration radiating off of me as I continued to concentrate on clinging to Subaru with the skill of a spider monkey. Subaru, changing his tactics, began to try to shake me off so violently that I could feel my teeth starting to chatter from the action, rain drops flying from us like a dog after a bath. My jaw was clenched so tightly to the point of pain as I felt my hold begin to break. Subaru's continuous rocking of my body finally paid off for him as I started to slip down, my sweaty hands losing their hold while my rain sodden legs dropped down to dangle dangerously. My eyes widened in horror- well, until rain began to fall into my eyes, and had to close my lids to shield them.

"NO, you are not gonna drop me this time!" I mumbled in a strangled tone, my voice strained. I was unsure if the words were said to motivate myself or to stubbornly oppose Subaru. It was probably a bit of both.

Subaru began to slow his jarring movements, giving me the chance to heave myself back up with the last of my reserve. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough strength left for the effort to pay out. My muscles were spent. My feet kept slipping back down. I began to panic. I started to swing my legs wildly. Nervous sweat formed on my brow, it mixing with the rain that slid down my drenched face. Subaru continued to tilt forward as he did his best to get me off of his chest, the vampire almost completely horizontal by this point. Meanwhile, I had become almost vertical, only my arms still weakly clinging to his neck as my feet dangled pitifully beneath me. The rain continued to pour down even harder. I was too afraid to look down, knowing it would only shatter my already cracking nerves. How long before my upper body strength gives out?

**It's at times like this I wish we'd invested in more body builder training prior to coming here...**

Subaru, coming to his senses, finally remembered the difference in our strength and stopped flailing his arms around. He stabilised his erratic movements- something I had yet to do- and brought his arms around to grip my shoulders. His tight grip, combined with the fact his fingers were digging into the bruises that had already formed from back at the Shrine, left me unable to fight the cry of pain that burst from my lips. When Subaru heard the pitiful sound escape me, I watched the way his irked expression slowly morphed into a sadistic fury, his crimson eyes swirling with outrage as his lips curved upwards into a gleeful grin. My wide eyes were fixated onto his, glowing amber orbs flashing with alarm, my already quickening pulse jolting with anxiety. This was much more unnerving than when he threatened to beat me up back at the Shrine- height always adds intensity to the situation, after all. He plucked me away from him as easily as someone flicking away a fly clinging to your clothes would, my fingers having uselessly clawed at his sodden shirt in the final moments- even while I knew his strength immensely surpassed my own. My arms fell dejectedly down by my side. My shoulders hunched uncomfortably. His nails dug into my flesh.

He held me there, in suspended air, for several moments, silent. From the suffocatingly dead air, I could still feel animosity emitting from him, as if that feeling was the only thing that heated his cold heart.

I gulped painfully, my mouth dry.

I knew hearing my voice would just piss him off, so I was smart enough to keep my mouth shut…but I still aimed to be strategic and do _something_ to stop him from dropping me.

I used my greatest weapon- my _**eyes.**_

I put everything into my glowing gaze, feelings flowing and swirling within my pupils, specs of raw emotion swimming through a sea of amber. They had always been known as hypnotising, my eyes, often called a direct insight into the deepest, darkest parts of me- parts of me in which I had no control over whether they were hidden or on display. My emotions, desires, hopes and dreams were all in plain sight, the deep intensity of a gaze with eyes that seemed far older and wiser than I had always managed to reflect honesty so pure it sometimes scared me how much I revealed to people- especially when I knew so little myself. But what had always made my gaze so acclaimed in the church was that whatever deep truth my eyes revealed to you, the gaze we held was a link that went both ways. Whatever part of me you saw, your eyes would too reflect the most vulnerable parts of your fragile soul. I wasn't really sure if it was some magical skill I'd acquired from my supernatural counterpart, but the reactions it created seemed far too radical for the skill to be labelled as ordinary…whatever it was, all I knew was that it was a skill I'd supposedly had since infancy. And despite my doubts of such a trick working on a vampire, who I presumed would be much too iron-willed to have their mind crumble through fixated stares alone, I was curious to see how such a mental trick would fair against a creature of the night as powerful as this prince.

To my surprise, it worked astonishingly well.

I could sense the exact moment my stare finally pierced right through his anger, his intentions changing before my very eyes. The fury he felt shifted. His eyes softened, glazing over until his scarlet eyes changed into a dull brick red. He lost his fierce glare as his slanted eyebrows shot up and his jaw slackened. Subaru was mesmerised by the glowing liquid amber of my eyes, staring wide and unblinking at him.

**I…I can feel it. The rage, the hate, the….the **_**self-loathing**_**. I thought you had some self-hate issues, but this kids holding some real resentment towards himself...I wonder why?**

I could feel the negative emotions flow through me from his locked gaze alone, passing to me like second hand smoke, choking me slowly. I was unable to fully grasp the true strength of his hidden emotions, my ability stronger the more it was used on that individual, but even so, I was still greatly rocked by just the mere glimpse of his true feelings.

But unfortunately for me, just when I thought I was understanding the temperamental vampire…something broke our gaze. It was something unheard to me, but by the way his body suddenly jerked, Subaru then dazedly shaking his head, it was distracting enough for him to tear his gaze from me. Blinking his eyes rapidly, as if to rid the effects of my eyes from them, he looked around to pinpoint the distraction.

I sighed deeply. My connection with him had ended. His eyes stopped his frantic search to sharply turn to the right of him, looking intently through one of the second story windows of the mansion. A growl emitted from him, the low rumble coming from deep within his chest. I looked from the corner of my eye to find none other than Reiji standing in the centre of the window Subaru was staring at, fountain pen in left hand and black notebook in other. He briefly peered at us from the top of his glasses, head still tilted down as he continued speedily writing in his notebook. He wasn't even looking at what he was writing, but even so, I could just sense that every word was neatly written in elaborate penmanship.

But while I casually pondered on what Reiji was doing spying on us (and what exactly he was writing in his little black book of his), Subaru's reaction was, as expected of the hothead, completely explosive and over the top. He tensed considerably. I could feel the tightening of his muscles all the way down to the very tips of his fingers, feeling them stiffen around my tender arms. The sudden pressure caused me to hastily turn my gaze back to Subaru, Reiji momentarily forgotten about. Subaru was so fixated on glaring at Reiji that he'd seemed to have almost forgotten that I was still in his grasp…his _very tight _grasp. I glanced between Reiji and Subaru, seeing Reiji's lips move while noticing the subtle way Subaru's growls rose and fell in pitch according to whatever his brother was saying. I couldn't hear what Reiji was saying of course, my ears not nearly as sensitive as a vampire's and so unable to hear behind a thick glass window- though you could tell I was desperately trying by the way my pixie ears frantically twitched. But even when straining my hearing to their maximum levels, I couldn't change the fact that it was no better than the average humans.

**Humph, even a creature like us has their limitations…like being out of earshot of what the mean old vampire is saying to his angry little brother.**

Well, whatever he was saying, it was clearly agitating Subaru…and that meant bad news for me. Just as I heard Subaru mutter 'Controlling Bastard!' under his breath, Subaru's eyes once again locked with mine. His once quite fluffy hair, completely drenched from the rain, clung to his forehead, his fringe hanging limply in his face and covering his left eye completely. I knew instantly that no matter how much my gaze affected him before, the angry albino was just too far gone in his rage for it to work a second time. My eyes began to widen in conjunction with the loosening of his grip, feeling the strength he put in holding me up slipping just quickly as I was from his grasp.

**Ahhh, Shit….how the fuck am I supposed to fight gravity!? How do I stop him from dropping us? Think, damn it, THINK!**

But it was too late. I saw his jaw begin to clench shut with stone cold determination, his eyes aflame as his lips formed an enraged snarl. The decision of whether or not to let gravity decide my fate was already clear in Subaru's mind. I reacted with a start, my mind no longer working overtime to try to figure out a clever ploy, instead simply shifting down to focus solely on two emotions- panic and terror. Those feelings were overwhelming me. The slight hope, I had prior to Reiji's appearance, of not being dropped was what allowed me to think of a plan, but now, realising Subaru was unable to see past the haze of anger in his narrowed eyes, I instead began to freak out. My hands instinctively reached out to cling to Subaru, catching nothing but useless handfuls of his flimsy shirt, tears pricking at the corner of my eyes as my legs once again started to kick frantically beneath me. I was not the calm and determined individual craftily clinging to Subaru as I was during his first attempt…I was simply a terrified child, afraid of falling.

**Urgh, c-can you just stop panicking, please? You're just overreacting…we're going to get through this, ya hear me!? We've been through worse, Okay? WE'RE GONNA BE FI-**

I began to descend. It happened almost in slow motion, like I was 5 seconds behind the rest of the world. It was almost like watching my own demise as a ghost, delayed in the world's actions. I felt detached from my body. My mind, which had been racing non-stop prior to the fall, could barely even register what was happening. Once second I heard a fierce growl erupt from Subaru, sounding not unlike the wild boar that used to roam around my old home, before I felt an equally fierce force of power hit my chest. He had not only let go of me so I would fall- he pushed me in the chest just to spite me one last time and ensure my body would kiss the ground that much harder.

**What a dick move.**

I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing would come out. Utter terror had shaken the very sound from my voice. My breath caught in my throat. I was unsure if I could even attempt to inhale oxygen again, the wind knocked out of me. I continued to plummet down. The wind whipped across my body in painful lashes. Gravity was not kind to anyone when you dared to defy it- I was finding that out the hard way. I think my body was still in shock at Subaru's action, because it didn't flail or thrash the entire way down, my muscles instead stiffening and locking into place. I fell like dead weight.

**So…what? You've just given up then? You're just gonna let him get away with letting us crash land? Like hell I'm gonna end like this.**

No, no…don't be silly. How could I have given up? I've been through much worse in my 16 years of life, surely? It wasn't that I'd given up, not really, I had just gotten to the point of such deep shame at my own naiveté of the unpredictable vampires…that I almost didn't trust myself to control how I fell to my doom. I'd completely underestimated the difficulty of the Sakamaki's. If I can't even persuade them, on my first meeting, not to fuck me senseless without my consent or attempt to cripple me via a good old rough housing in a sacred shrine…how was I gonna handle all of our future interactions, when the novelty of a shiny new sacrifice had worn off and the princes decided to no longer honour their father's wishes of keeping me alive?

**Oh, I see now….look, don't bring yourself down too much (no pun intended), you just gotta learn how to listen and obey your all-powerful and all-knowledgeable alter ego that talks to you in your head when you're in life threatening situations, that's all.**

_…?_

**What? Look, I don't wanna start another argument with you while we're nearing our meeting with the cold hard floor- and the inevitable agony that will be included with that meeting- but you have to understand that playing the nice little innocent sacrifice and letting them walk all over you isn't gonna accomplish anything expect leave your body battered, your blood siphoned, your mind broken and your cherry not just popped- but fucking nuked right out of existence.**

My heart constricted slightly as truth rang through my mind at her words. Maybe my _**dark side's**_ right, maybe fighting tooth and nail was a better way with dealing with these sadistic bastards than trying to be clever and brave? Or would fighting them be a worse idea than just sucking it up and letting them do what they wanted?

Was there even some kind of middle ground of our two plans that I just wasn't getting? I still wasn't sure, but it was too late to ponder any longer, because I finally was about to feel what it's like to hit the ground from a 200 foot drop. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to relax my body as much as I could in such a situation- to hopefully minimise the damage of the fall.

I felt Subaru's jacket (which I was still wearing) collar suddenly get caught on something, causing my body to be yanked back upward so violently I felt like a ragdoll being swung by a hyperactive child. My stomach lurched horribly as my trajectory shifted abruptly, my neck feeling almost as if it had snapped as my head shot backwards with incredible whiplash. An audible crack was heard as my back bent a centimetre too far the wrong way, intense pain now running up and down my spine. The breath I'd been holding now exploded out from me in a raspy groan of pain. Once I'd stopped swinging wildly from side to side, my body finally stabilising in its new unmoving position, my head fell forward to hang limply- just as my limbs were. Rain slid down my hair to the back of my ears to my neck, to drip from my collarbone and then finally onto the floor. Silence enveloped me, only the dull sounds of the ragged breaths escaping me could be heard. The tips of my toes was mere inches from the ground. I had been incredibly close to becoming squished.

It took me a while for my exhausted brain to register, but I eventually figured out that my collar hadn't caught on a ledge or gargoyle like I'd thought…I had been caught by the vampire that had let me go in the first place.

After what seemed like an eternity, he moved, abruptly disposing of me. Subaru's causal flick of his wrist sent me crashing to the ground just as roughly as if he'd just body slammed into me. His strength, even when it seemed like he wasn't trying, was too uncontrolled to allow me to just walk away from the simple action without a scratch. I landed heavily on my side, scraping my hip against the harsh gravel as I skidded across the slippery path. A feeble groan escaped my lips as my back rattled with tender aching. I stayed on the ground for quite a while, trying to catch my breath, before I inhaled a big gulp of air and shakily rose onto hands and knees. It was difficult to try to expel the pain that rose up from my shaken bones. I stayed on my hands and knees for a long time, my breaths heavy.

Well, that is until a presence made itself known once again. I could feel Subaru land directly behind me, my ears twitching as I heard the gentle crunching of the soles of his shoes stomp back onto solid ground. Silence came from him- though I could sense he was looking at me.

I gradually worked up the courage to turn to face him, scrambling up onto shaky legs as I did. I drew courage not to fight any fear, but simply because I wasn't sure if I could face him without doing something I regretted. _I. Was. _**_Pissed_**_._ Subaru looked down at me, his head raised high as he cut me a death glare, his crimson eyes shadowed by his fringe, which now fell in front of his face. My legs shook immensely, my body unable to hide the deep pain that ran through it. Even so, the amount of fierceness on my face drew Subaru's gaze away from my weak body and towards my strong stare.

"What the hell's that look for, eh?" He spoke with warning in his tone, his voice quiet but gruff, so much so I almost didn't catch what he was saying to me. He questioned my particularly intense glare with a biting edge, the amount of ferocity reflected in my eyes equally matching the fury in his. In that moment, I no longer felt fear. My eyes slanted downwards with deep disapproval, my mouth pursed together in a bitter scowl. I didn't change my expression one millimetre at his words, except perhaps only to increase the intensity of my stare. Subaru's upper lip curled upwards in a disgusted snarl at my reaction, his hand darting out to once again grab me by the collar's jacket- this time, from the front. Gripping the material roughly, he forcefully pulled me upwards until only the very tips of my toes were brushing the floor, my scowl turning into a tense grimace as I struggled not to topple over in the awkward position- though my fierce gaze still didn't waver. Subaru didn't appreciate that I kept up such an attitude towards him, and so retaliated by slowly bringing my face mere inches from his own.

He then murmured in a threatening tone-

"That's a pretty fucking brazen expression for my prey to be holding right now. Or perhaps you really don't give a damn about yourself at all, hmm?" I kept silently rebellious, my mouth set into a grin line. His snarl deepened. His voice rose. "DO YA WANT ME TO KILL YOU THAT MUCH, HUH? DO YA REALLY WANT ME TO BREAK EVERY PART OF YOU TILL YOU CAN LEARN SOME GODDAMN MANNERS!?" Tears pricked at the corner of my eyes at the overwhelming tone and volume to his yell, his cold breath blowing onto my cheeks as he spoke at such a close proximity to me. "…You are, by far, the most dim-witted piece of prey that's ever waltzed into this fucking place, you know that? Maybe you deserve to die for your stupidity alo-"

That was the moment I finally snapped.

"I'm…not your property." I breathed, the words so quiet Subaru almost didn't hear me, even with his vampire hearing. Still, he took a double take at my interruption, his slanted eyebrows relaxing as they slowly moved upwards with surprise. His grip loosened slightly.

"…Huh? What'd you say to me, _baka_?" He carefully asked me, his voice thick with a threatening tone as his already deep voice dropped a few octaves. It caused a shiver to run up my spine, my body's attempt to warn me I was getting into dangerous waters. I no longer cared however, knowing he'd already crossed that line. I wasn't swimming into dangerous waters right this minute, I had already entered dangerous waters the very moment I met his gaze.

_I was drowning in the deep dark waters of the vampire, sinking down to the whirlpool of hell._

**We have to stay afloat, we have to keep kicking till we rise above the water…and gentle coaxing and a 'please sir, no more' ain't gonna cut it….**_**Do **_**it, come on….fight back, prove to me you're smart enough to keep our vessel in one piece, to keep us alive….**

_SHUT UP!_ I screamed in my mind, the words echoing across my consciousness, the shout in sync with a violent jerk of my body, me shoving back Subaru with all of my strength. So taken aback by the action, Subaru actually took a step back at my push, his hand naturally slipping from its tight hold on my collar. Though his hand was still raised, ready to grab it again.

_I'm not some doll for any of the vampires to play with and break whenever they please…but I'm also not some puppet for YOU, my _**_dark side_**_, to control and constantly risk my life by picking stupid fights that will get me killed! Unnecessarily antagonising a sadistic vampire with a cruel streak for causing weak little girls pain is not any better than just letting them do whatever they want! You wanna know why? BECAUSE THEY BOTH END WITH THE SAME RESULT- ME SUFFERING!_

**…!**

_….still, that doesn't mean I always have to keep my mouth shut like a good little sacrifice. At least standing up for myself gives me more dignity than just playing the helpless victim…_

"I said, I'm not your property- and I'm not an idiot either." I repeated, raising my voice to a curt and clearer tone as my eyes began to flash with rage, my amber glow steadily increasing into an even brighter neon orange- if that was even possible. I was the one giving the warnings now. I smacked his hand away from me, my voice raising from a tense and stern scolding into a passionate rant, my voice unintentionally bursting with uncontained emotion.

"Why do you always have to call me prey, huh? Of course I know the reason for me being brought here and what my existence is to vampires- but that doesn't mean I don't have a sufficient amount of pride and other purpose in me as well! I am not some common cattle, clueless to the intelligence of the world or of my fate- so at least treat me with SOME respect, if you have it in you!" I called him out on his unnecessary cruelty towards me, 98% sure it would do nothing to change my treatment from him but no longer able to just stand by without expressing my feelings.

The near death drop was one action too far for me to keep my emotions bottled up any longer. I had met a lot, and I mean _a lot_, of nasty creatures, with plenty that enjoyed submitting victims to torture and abuse…but being dropped from several feet in the air for no other reason than to spite your older brother was a new level of meaningless torture. The reason for such brutality and carelessness was unfathomable to me…had these spoilt little princes never been taught to care for their actions at all?

"Don't take it out on 'your little snack' just because you're frustrated with something not even related to me! Just because I 'belong to the Sakamaki Family', at least according to your father…you and your sadistic siblings have no right to lash out at me when I have done nothing wrong!"

Subaru's jaw grew slack at my outburst, his eyes widening with surprise at his previously submissive prey standing up for herself- and to be honest, I was pretty surprised at myself as well. I only acted this recklessly towards a threat when I felt they had taken an action too far for them to return from- and triggering a crippling fear of heights I never knew I had until 5 minutes ago was one of them. He opened his mouth to reply to my remark, taking an agitated step towards me as if to injure me- his fists clenched and muscles tensed to raise his hands- only to stop when he noticed I didn't flinch or cower like I had done at the exact same action when at the church. My eyes continued to glow brightly while I glared at him, the glow reflecting my honest feelings as if they were as transparent as glass.

Transfixed by my stare, it took Subaru a few moments to remember himself. Once he did, Subaru shook his head and adopted his typical scowl, his eyes narrowed with blatant hatred. But instead of continuing to react with violence as I'd expected him to, he abruptly changed tactics- simply barging past me towards the doors to the mansion (rudely, I might add), his left shoulder making forceful contact with my right so that I had no choice but to stumble back at the action.

"Tch, you're such a bother."

I watched him coolly (if not with at least slight shock at his surprising control of his temper) as he kicked open the door with unrelenting force- the door thankfully not breaking under his strength. He then tore across the entrance hall with barely contained unrest. Just as he'd stormed up the stairs, about to turn right and disappear through a corridor, I ran into the entrance hall and called out to him with conviction.

"This insignificant pride of mine, you better damn well remember it, Subaru!"

He didn't even pause to look at me, simply continuing his route without even batting an eyelid at my words. Though I could hear him mumbling something, the words sounding something like "Don't push it".

Waiting what felt like an eternity, ensuring that Subaru wasn't just out of my sight but I was out of his inhuman earshot, I finally let out a shaky breath. The tears that threatened to spill from my eyes (but had been too stubborn to in front of Subaru before) finally released from their prison, silently rolling down my cheeks. I bent over to rest my hands on my knees. Whatever power that had given me the strength to voice out my feelings with such intensity was being rapidly sapped from every cell in my body.

**Damn, go Akako- fight the man, don't submit to the power!**

I was surprised by my _**dark side's**_ words of praise, it a rare moment…until, of course, she ruined her little congratulatory speech with her next words.

**But~ Look, just because you got let off the hook this time doesn't mean beating the crap out of him wouldn't have a much longer lasting effect to the little vampire problem….**

Urgh, I was too tired to deal with the voice in my head right now….

_Your opinion isn't invalid, but accept my decision to handle things on my own if I should wish to. I don't need to beat up the vampires to get my point across…I've already admitted you had a point about not letting them walk all over me, what more do you want from me?_

**You know that if you truly wish to survive, you must end their life before you let them destroy your own…**

_No…you know how much I loathe ending the life of another without good reason. I can, no- I WILL- put up with living with these damn creatures for a 100 years if I have to, just as long as I know that _**_She _**_will not be harmed while I put up with it…just like my father has promised._

**What the hell is your problem, There IS a good reason- we are continuing our life by stopping theirs. I wouldn't be so eager to see their blood spilt if they weren't so out for our blood in the first place!**

_…I said no. And if you _**_force _**_me to enter my _**_Dark State _**_(as you just _**_love _**_to do) just for the sake of killing them instead of solely protecting me…just try to remember you'll be no better than the vampires forcing me to do unspeakable acts for their own gain as well, okay?_

**Humph, well if that's how you feel, then how about I don't help you at all. We'll just see how long you last without my advice or help. If I remember correctly, you were begging for me to show up and stop their actions when the triplets wanted some weird blood sucking threesome or when Laito wanted to rip your panties off. There's a word for people like you…**_**hypocrite**_**.**

I didn't reply. No, I couldn't reply…because I knew that dark little voice in my head was right about me being hypocritical. But it's hard to stand by your morals or think with a straight head when death is staring at you right in the face, Okay? I'm not some saint, and I don't plan to try to be one…but I've gotta have some limits, right? Yes, I couldn't dare let myself loathe the Sakamaki's and all the other countless creatures I've met for their cruel actions if I was happy to do the exact same to others for the sake of my peace of mind and comfort. I really would be a hypocrite then.

I've got to stand firm on my ethics. I couldn't risk my arrogant _**dark side**_ flipping out and trying to kill the extremely powerful vampire princes, only to inevitably fail and end up with them killing me much crueller and far more painfully than if I had just let them beat me senseless or drain me dry with a smile on my face and a "thank you, come again" mentality.

After spending the next ten minutes silently sobbing in a pathetic manner, my chest heaving with emotion, I attempted to shake away the overwhelming feelings from my heart. I also sought to control my erratic breathing. After about the 10 minute mark, my pounding heart, second by second, gradually slowed and my glowing eyes became dull once more. Wiping my tears and sucking up the last of my outward feelings, I regained my typical composure once more. Finally coming back to my less emotional (and more rational) side, I realised that while I had successfully called out Subaru on his death drop stunt without getting injured further…I had no idea where anything in the mansion was without his help. I couldn't change out of the severely dirtied and torn (and stupid) pink negligée, because I had no idea where my room was- and I couldn't clean myself up because I had no clue where the nearest bathroom was! I didn't even know where to start. Plus, on top of all that, I was still wearing Subaru's jacket. I wasn't too sure how Subaru would feel about me giving him back this muddied and grass stained jacket without at least washing it first. But again, I was stuck about where the nearest washing machine was, pretty sure that the butlers and maids of this mansion only followed the Vampire Prince's orders…

So there I was, soaked and closer to naked than clothed (even with Subaru's oversized jacket) at this point, wanting nothing more than to warm my sodden body. Knowing that walking around aimlessly in a huge ass mansion that I'd only just touched the surface on exploring was not a clever plan, I decided I was better off staying near the entrance hall, which was essentially the start of the mansion's seemingly endless layout. But I couldn't stay in the hall forever, I needed to at least find someone who could help me. I, of course, was referring to one of the many maids and butlers I presumed they had, not an actual Sakamaki- they probably had different, less helpful, intentions. I'd much rather avoid them, if possible…especially when I was half naked and wet.

I looked to the left and right of me, carefully deliberating which direction to best to walk, deciding to forget about going upstairs and not even bother attempting to find my room among the hundreds in this place. _Plus, checking every room upstairs might land me into trouble if I accidently walk into the one of the Sakamaki's rooms._ Instead, I aimed to find some shelter from the chill and at least dry off in the warmth, or even better, find a bathroom to clean myself up in. Even though I had no clothes to change into, scrubbing the mud firmly caked into my skin and hair was an idea I could definitely get behind…

In the end, since I was left handed, I decided to go left and planned to keep walking on the main paths while avoiding any easily forgettable side paths that could get me lost. Checking that Subaru's coat, which my petite body completely got lost in, was still fully zipped up and covering the flimsy nightgown, I began to walk with caution. I always kept one hand on the wall no matter where I walked, knowing it would help me keep a mind map about where the entrance hall was in case I got lost and needed to retrace my steps. Despite living in the middle of nowhere for 6 years…my sense of direction could be improved. My _**dark side**_ was usually the one to remind me which way I was to go…but, as she said before, I was on my own unless I did things her way.

_**What room I stumbled into next created another problem worse than getting hypothermia- The problem 100% Sakamaki related, of course…maybe I'll be wishing for my **__**dark side's **__**help sooner than I thought.**_

* * *

_**HI! How you doing? What do you think of my newest chapter? Do you like it? Or not? All opinions are appreciated ;)**_

So yh, not much happened in this chappy, just a little show of what else Akako's eyes can do. So, not only do they glow, and see Yokai, they can now...hypnotise people, sorta?

Also, my baby stood up for herself, yaaaay! :D but now she's stuck in the mansion, dirty and lost, without her dark side's help, ooooooooooh.

Which brother do you think she'll meet next? which brother do you WANT her to meet next? Share your thoughts guys, I'm curious to know whats going on in your little dialover minds :P

**Please leave a review if you're feeling kind and you got a little time to show your love, I'd love to know your thoughts on the overall chapter and storyline? If not, thats fine guys cause you can always show your support through other means ;)**

**...(I of course mean following my story or favoriting it...nothing else...HONEST!)**

You don't have to worry because I promise to update soon, so until then, see ya! ;)


	7. Cruelness is something best served hot

One hour. One whole hour of cluelessly wandering around the giant Sakamaki mansion. I was cold and wet and so goddamn _confused_ about how to navigate the Vampire's Lair- I could practically _feel _my already grey hair turning even greyer from the stress! Every twist, every turn, it would just lead me to another seemingly endless corridor that led to another corridor, and another and another…. until they were all just blurring into one never-ending nightmare. There was no way one floor of the mansion was large enough for me to wander around on for an _hour_ and still not find anyone- it's just not possible! Maybe the town folks' warnings about this place being haunted weren't so far from the truth….

I was half tempted to just apologise to my _**dark side**_ and ask for her opinion on what to do, but I was far too stubborn and stuck to my morals to admit that killing the Sakamakis and just fighting my way back to _**her **_side was a better plan than my current one- to just stick to the rules my father had laid out for me and be the Sakamakis new pet for as long as I needed to. Whenever a problem cropped up in my life, it was always a battle between me and the voice in my head on what course of action to follow, especially when the problem was related to my father. This certainly wasn't the first time that she'd pulled the 'silent treatment' on me.

_She just, URGH, never sees the big picture in a plan, you know? And it's so infuriating!_ If I actually pull a miracle out of my ass and kill not one, but all six of the powerful Sakamaki Brothers…won't I then have to deal with the inevitable scenario of an angry vampire king coming after me demanding to know why I killed off all of his immediate family tree and _future heirs_ to the throne of an _entire _species!? Somehow a King's wrath would be much worse than putting up with all 6 of his sons combined…

Eventually, I just gave up trying to quietly and calmly find a maid/butler who had directions to my room, instead taking a much more forward approach. I thoroughly investigated every inch of the corridors I stormed through and barged through every door I came across with forceful shoves and kicks- finding each room empty of life but filled with more than a few strange items: I found cupboards filled with foreign cleaning products so strong each one of them had an excessively large 'death' hazard sign plastered onto them, I found more than a few rooms locked so securely the chains from the heavy padlocks were several inches thick, and even more worryingly, I found offices all filled to the brim with bookshelves that contained books in languages I couldn't even begin to recognise- many of them with strange symbols and pictures on the cover that I couldn't help but think had a chilling familiarity to the satanic books you always see in horror movies. I didn't stay long in those rooms.

At some point I stumbled into a hallway that was larger and more open than the smaller corridors I'd become accustomed to in the past hour. In the hallway laid three circular tables pushed up against the wall, covered in a floor length white tablecloth and each filled with colourful pastries of all types and tastes. I was extremely confused as to why this particular part of the mansion had a hallway filled with such delicacies, especially considering I was nowhere near a kitchen. I tried to walk past it and concentrate on the more pressing matter of finding directions to a bathroom where I could wash and change into some fresh clothes…but the surprisingly loud and ridiculously prolonged rumbling of my stomach forced me to pause. My mind began to think less about a warm shower and more about the last time I'd had a warm meal. I thought back to before I fell asleep in my new bed, to before I entered the mansion and to before the priests drugged and kidnapped me…I realised in mild surprise that I hadn't eaten in more than 48 hours. My eyes glanced over the wide array of treats, unashamedly salivating as I lazily skimmed over everything, from the tower of macaroons, to the plate of bon-bons, to the cupcake stand filled with Danish swirls, iced buns, vanilla slices and blueberry muffins. There was even a full three-layer cake fully iced and decorated with strawberries and cherries on the centre of each table. My stomach bellowed like an angry whale's moan, a sharp pang hitting my gut straight after forcing my mind to fully focus on the severity of my hunger. My hand began to reach out towards the nearest plate stacked with chocolate éclairs in an almost subconscious motion. But in the last few seconds before I picked up the treat, I somehow managed to scrape together my last shred of willpower and paused my actions. It was just a little _too _suspicious.

It was common knowledge that rich people had strange requests, and I presumed that the spoilt little vampire princes would probably have some outrageous demands for the help of the mansion to accommodate… but what reason would they have to place three tables full of pastries in some random hallway? I couldn't even process the amount of pastries that lay before me, and more so how I would feel once the glaze on an iced finger touched my tongue- but more importantly than that, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was some sort of trap. Could the Sakamaki's have placed this here to appeal to my lack of willpower towards food? What if they'd laced the glaze with rat poison just for shits and giggles? Maybe this place really was haunted and this corridor full of treats was some sort of illusion the ghosts of this place were using to trick me… there were just too many variables to consider.

But I was just _sooo _hungry.

It's amazing how you can function perfectly fine for hours long when your mind's preoccupied with other thoughts (like, for example, protecting yourself from your new vampire masters), but the second you remember you haven't eaten in a while…. suddenly it's all that's on your mind. After deliberating for a good ten minutes, a conflicted grimace adorning my face the entire time, I decided to taste test the treats to see it they had been tampered with by swiping a finger down one of the cakes and licking the frosting off of my fingers. A literal moan escaped me as the sugary covering dissolved on my tongue, my eyes fluttering shut as my taste buds basked in the tingling bliss of the exquisite pastry. Rich people's food was on a whole other level of quality. That one little lick of frosting was all it took to break my already crumbling willpower. I dove at the pastries in the same manner a starved man seeing a banquet for the first time would. In some ways, it was a similar situation.

Pastries were a rarity I was never allowed as a child- my father saw to that. On the off chance that I would escape my confinements and be able to steal biscuits from the pantry, the guards watching me would occasionally find out if I didn't sneak back in time and would punish me with a swift but severe beating. It was usually unbeknownst to my father who forbade any punishments towards me except when he authorised it, but my ability to heal faster than the average human meant that any evidence would be gone by the morning when he came to visit me. Besides, I'm sure my father wouldn't have done anything, regardless of evidence. _He let those guards do almost anything they wanted to me…_

When I'd finally escaped my father's clutches, I'd admittedly started to steal sweets and pastries from a local bakery in the town that was closest to my forest hideout instead- my will to survive when I'd first escaped leading me to a very long list of crimes I'm now ashamed to admit. Pastry heists were on the lower end of my thefts. Though, I was never careless about my little pinching problem, I never took too much so that the Baker wouldn't notice suspicious amounts of loss in inventory, and I always ensured I was never caught on camera or set off the alarm. My Yokai friends were especially good at helping me break in and cover my tracks when I couldn't evade a shop's high security. It wasn't until _**she**_ started baking for me that the thrill of theft gave way for my love of her home baked goods, and eventually my love of her- though that's not to say I still didn't steal almost everything else of value. When you run away from home, the only way you're going to experience technological wonders and be up to date with the latest news of the world was to frequently 'borrow' some of the electronic store's newest stock and tap into the nearest house's Wi-Fi and/or electric supply. Again, my old Yokai friends came in handy for help in jobs that surpassed my skills in technology- I wasn't some kind of super hacker, after all. _I just wish that the Spirits here would have as much eagerness to help me, or at least enjoy my company a little more_, I thought bitterly, thinking back to when I felt the warrior Kitsune's flames heat up the air around us and how useful that heat would be to my rain sodden body now.

I slowed down the shameless shovelling of treats into my gob, the thought of my old partners in crime bringing my attention more to my past than the pieces of fudge in front of me. I began to feel guilt well up inside of me. I'd spend all of my time thinking about _**her**_ and how everything I'm doing was just an obstacle in my way before I could go back to _**her**_ side again, but I never really stopped to consider my spirit friends and how much they'd been just as much a part of my life as she had been. I mean, that group of Yokai hid me from my father's search parties when I very first ran away from home, and then continued to protect and raise me when my father finally stopped looking and I was left to fend for myself at the tender age of ten. Those spirits stopped me from becoming something I hated, they stopped me from going through with some terrible decisions and they made sure I was raised to be better than those homeless 'street rats' that scuffled around alleyways in the nearby town.

The surprisingly substantial amounts of homeless people that settled there would form groups that made a life off of preying on the 'dumb and defenceless' public; tricking people out of their money, selling illegal substances behind the police's backs and stealing jewellery and other trinkets to sell or share amongst themselves. It was a ruthless and unloving environment for anyone- kids, adults and elderly alike- many groups in constant (usually physical) fights over turf to sleep in or for the right to claim highly populated areas where they would rob or mooch money off of people. The Yokai saw the drama of this seedy underground world and wanted more for me than a life of hiding and running from the church, from a life of killing all supernatural threats that passed me… they knew I couldn't have a normal life, but damn did they try to make sure I was happy, content, even _normal_…

Suddenly the fudge was difficult to swallow.

"Oh god, I've been moaning about seeing _**her **_all this time when I should've been crying over the loss of my family- my _real _family," I muttered to myself in self-directed disgust, painfully gulping down the last of the pastries in my mouth. "I-I was just taken from the spirits' forest- and my hideout- with no warning, no note a-and with my hideout trashed and emptied of all my junk! What, what must the Yokai think has happened to me? They know about my father and the church, but they won't know that they've taken me somewhere else… _Oh fuck_." I looked down at the treats and suddenly thought about how stupid I'd been, how I'd been so worried about my father and the injection and the whole damn royal vampire family…and yet I never stopped to think about the others I'd left behind. There were very few people I cared about in my life, but the spirits I'd lived with were defiantly high up on the list of things that were important to me.

My father had said to me before I'd left the church that he'd told _**her**_ some bullshit lie about how he'd shipped me off to a strict military school to teach me a lesson for running away, and that due to the rules of the school I wasn't allowed any contact from them for the first three months. It was to keep _**her **_innocent mind satisfied…but my Spirit friends have no idea of my fate. They probably saw my trashed hideout and thought the church has taken back to live with my father again. _What will they think when they go to save me and see I'm not there? What if they can't figure out where I truly am? What if they give up on saving me? Or worse…what if they think I'm already dead?_

Suddenly the cakes I was looking at had water dripping onto them, it taking me a moment longer than it should have to realise that they were coming from me in the form of salty tears. _Damn it_, I thought with annoyance, _I've been crying every five minutes since I've entered this stupid mansion._

**Oh for fucks sake, even an idiot like you knows that those guys would never give up on us- those spirits would never leave one of their own kind and that's what we are to them- a fellow Yokai. And I mean, come on, can you blame yourself if some of your priorities are a little mixed up? We've been through a lot with the reunion of our father, the injection messing with our connection, these fucking asshole princes pouncing for our neck every ten minutes and…and I guess the opinionated voice in your head telling you to kill everything in sight doesn't help either. Just because we're used to dealing with 'creatures of the night' doesn't mean we actually had to be right in the middle of the action since we were kids. We're just a little rusty, you know?**

I laughed despite my tears, wiping them away with sticky fingers covered in icing as I quickly recovered from my brief bout of self-pity. My _**dark side**_, for the first time in a while, was actually making sense. Maybe my heightened emotions of anxiety and fear had something to do with me being a little rusty with dealing with such life threatening situations. I'd lost my game.

_Oh, so your talking to me now? What happened to the silent treatment- did ya miss me? I can't remember the last time you apologised to me for being so kill-oriented, you know? Perhaps my dark side has a…soft side_? I outwardly laughed at my pitiful joke_._

**Ha Ha, I'm in stitches over that comedy gold,** she thought back sarcastically, before sighing and taking a more serious tone. **Look, if all is forgiven and shit, then all I'm gonna say is that I should remind you that I'm here as a consequence of you owning the power buried deep in the body we both inhabit- meaning, you owe me the decency to at least listen to my opinions on how to keep ****OUR ****body ticking, got it? Before, when we were happily skipping with the spirits in the forest and stealing old iPhones from the local second hand shop, you didn't have to listen to me too often because we were in little supernatural danger, but now that we're actually in real danger of dying from the hands of monsters, I feel like that strict 'no-killing unless absolutely necessary' rule may need a little tweaking**. She then paused, as if deliberating whether she should continue.** But…if you're so dead set on not killing the Sakamaki's- even though they won't return the favour- then at least prepare yourself for our new life with the Sakamaki's, just until we have a real plan in place to escape this place without loose ends.**

I was surprised by her words, my dark side not the type to actually agree with me. _What do mean 'prepare yourself'? You want me to go back down into town and stock up on crosses and garlic to protect myself?_

**Is there a reason you suddenly decided to play comedian today or was there just something in those pastries that I don't know about- cynical comments are **_**my**_** job, okay? And **_**what I mean**_** is if you don't want to kill them, then you need to have a clear mind to get out of any situation with them without resulting in further injury or death. **_**What I mean**_** is you can't keep crying every five seconds over what you've lost or because you turn into a little scaredy pants when they flash their fangs your way. **_**What I mean**_** is you can't keep freezing up when the triplets try to pin you down to drain your blood, you can't lash out and start shouting about your pride or your rights when Subaru or another brother says or does something that hurts your **_**wickle feewings**_** and you keep shaking like a lost puppy when Laito or another sadistically sex crazed brother goes to pinch your panties! You need to be calm, clear headed and you need to act strong when they try to knock you down…and you need to be able to decide when a fight can't be won and let them do horrible things to you as long as you're confident you'll come out alive by the end of it.**

_Oh…so your saying you agree with following my father's instructions to not kill them while I'm in their care? You'll let me just put up with their sadistic plans and bloodlust until I can find a way to leave this manor without the risk they'll hunt me down, kill me or get their father-the king- involved?_

**No, I don't agree with this weak ass plan at all, and I'll make sure I still remind you at every twist and turn that we should ignore Father's rules and just use our powers against them to protect ourselves…. but if you're not gonna listen to me, the best I can do to protect this vessel of ours is to make sure you don't cry and scream and drown in the blood we'll shed in this place. The only way our vessel will fully break is for them to first break your mind- you cannot let them hurt that part of you, **_**do you understand**_**?**

…_Yes, I…I understand_. Although the voice in my head wasn't the most sensible and passive usually, I couldn't argue with her advice right now. She was right. My body, blood and soul might belong to the Sakamaki princes, but my mind does not. _Once they have a hold on my mind, I won't ever have a chance of leaving this mansion alive._ I clenched my fists tightly, slamming them onto the table with conviction. _I have to stay strong_. Although I'd been saying this phrase since I'd walked through the mansion door, I'd instead just acted the complete opposite way towards every single problem thrown at me.

My _**dark side**_ has successfully convinced me to start behaving the way I did all those years ago when it was the norm for me to fight for my life every day. _If, as a mere child, I could stand my ground, then why can't I now?_ That little voice in my head had managed to snap me back to my old self, I could feel my strength increasing- Not in a physical sense, but in a mental one.

**Right then, now that we've reached a verdict on that, our first task with our new clear headed mind is to warm up this vessel of ours, since I feel like we're about five minutes away from dying of hypothermia.**

_Don't be so dramatic_. Her words had managed to bring my attention back to the state of my body. The water that had been dripping off of my tattered clothes and hair and that had left a wet trail through all the corridors still hadn't dried up yet. It left my clothes and skin caked in a concoction of watery mud that was starting to harden. I felt an awful stickiness that surrounded my body in a thin film of slime like a disgusting cocoon. To say I felt gross was an understatement. Although the unnatural blood that flowed through my veins heated my body a little more than the average human, I still needed something extra to help warm me after being caught in such a heavy downpour.

My eyes moved from the pastries back to the teapot I'd briefly noticed earlier and focused on the steam coming from the spout. It must've been brewed not long before I entered the hallway as heat still emitted from the teapot. I childishly wiped my sticky frosting covered mouth with the back of my hand before cheekily wiping my even stickier fingers on one of the tablecloths. I then carefully opened the lid of the pot to see an amber coloured liquid peek through the initial puff of steam that came up to greet me. The unbearably strong smell of ginger also hit me at full force as I made the mistake of shoving my face mere inches from the hole. I wasn't fond of hot drinks, especially ones that weren't extremely sweet, but I knew I couldn't pass up a chance to warm my frozen body up. I swallowed down my unwillingness and poured a cup of it for myself into one of the little teacups. After a deep breath and a very long pause to collect myself, I took a laughably tiny sip of it only to begin to gag dramatically at the awfully bitter taste. It didn't help the burning hot liquid also slid down my throat and left behind a trail of burning agony.

Even my _**Dark Side**_ couldn't help but let noises of disgust ring throughout my mind at the terrible taste. I decided that this was the first and last time I was gonna try ginger tea. Still, I kept the cup on hand, if only because the almost scalding liquid in the teacup served as a great hand warmer.

While I stared down in disgrace at the liquid, I suddenly felt a surge of heat come from the left of me. My head immediately snapped round to the direction of the heat, my eyes wide as I noticed for the first time that this hallway led to a large room instead of another corridor like I had become used to since I began exploring the mansion. I was extremely confused- that room was _definitely_ not there when I'd first walked down the hallway. The confirmation about this mansion really being haunted continued to cement in my mind. Still, I cast thoughts of rooms shifting position due to paranormal activity as a relieved smile broke through my bewildered expression. I'd realised the source of the heat was from the flames of a fire. I couldn't have a warm shower and change into some fresh clothes while in that living room, but I could at least bring some heat back into my body without resorting to drinking that foul ginger tea. Thoughts of curling up by the fireplace like a content little house cat crossed my mind.

I quickly scampered to the warmth, tea still in hand, the roaring fire beckoning me closer. As I got closer and closer to the end of the hallway, I noticed that the living room had no candles lit in the overhead chandelier as it should. I would have to walk into the room plunged in almost complete darkness- the fire the only source of light. I slowed my rushed pace and stopped just in front of the door hole. I took a few hesitant steps into what seemed like an impending black hole about to swallow me whole, the cackling flames at the far end of the room providing little light in such a large space. I only began to relax when my eyes started to glow dimly and cast an amber glow into the darkness, revealing just a little bit more of the room's interior than the poor light of the fire did. It was a minimal change, but I knew it would make a difference. I didn't want to potentially hurt myself by unknowingly stumbling into a large piece of furniture like a sofa or coffee table. It would be foolish to rely on the dull and flickering light of the fire alone. It was at times like this my glowing eyes came in handy- it was the first time they hadn't caused me issues since I'd arrived at the mansion. I tried to make my eyes glow brighter as I knew they could increase in luminosity, but my control over my powers weren't the best at the moment. _Thank you, mysterious injection!_ Relying on the minimal amount of light from my neon eyes and the dim flicker of the fire, I carefully walked through the darkened room.

From what I could see, which was mostly just vague blobs where objects were placed, it had the same design as that very first living room I was led into by Reiji when I'd first arrived at the mansion. Hell, for all I knew, it could've been the exact same one- walking around in circles wasn't a first time mistake for me. I carefully maneuvered my way around each piece of furniture with the grace and confidence of a blind baby giraffe, and after a lot of scuffs and bumps and 'ooh's and 'ahh's, I finally made it to the fireplace.

I bent down to place the ginger tea on the edge of the raised hearth before sitting on my knees just in front of the fire. I sighed deeply as my skin drank in the fierce warmth of the flames, even my eyelids gently burning as I shut them contently and leaned my face and hands inch by inch towards the flame until my cheeks and palms glowed a dusky red. It was an extravagant fireplace, just as everything in the manor was, and made of a beautiful grey marble that was warm to the touch. When I lazily cracked open my eyes, I was lost in the flames of the fire, watching them curl and sway as they let off gentle puffs of smoke that disappeared just as quickly as they were released. I watched it all while hearing the warm crackling of the wood that fed the hungry flames. But my joyful trance of the fire soon diminished as I moved my gaze to the pillars of the fireplace. They had fine carvings of gothic style patterns, the mantel on top possessing no family photos or holiday souvenirs but instead an antique looking candle holder that was void of any lit candles just as the overhead chandelier was. Looking even closer at the header of the fireplace, I noticed even in the dark that it had the Sakamaki family crest carved into it, just as most of the items I've seen in the manor had.

"So possessive, even with the silliest of items…" I murmured to myself, a smile breaking out on my face as I shook my head with amusement. "I wonder if they'll mark me with a brand of the Sakamaki crest like farmers do to the cattle on their farm? Or maybe they'll feel that's too distasteful for their live-in food to have…?" I softly talked to myself, finding that making completely inappropriate comments about my situation helped keep my nerves together much better than actually worrying about the reality of what I said.

**"Actually, a vampire's bite is completely unique to each other, so just the bite marks we leave behind on your skin will be enough for us to claim you as our property,"** a soft but well-spoken voice called out of the darkness, telling me in a very matter-of-fact manner the real answer to my joke. I recognised that voice.

I jumped up to my feet in an instant, taking a sharp intake of breath. I then used the glow of my eyes to pinpoint the location of a certain shota vampire. _There!_ He was sitting on the ledge of a large window on the other side of the room. He was sitting up straight with his weight shifted towards the face of the window, his precious teddy placed on one knee while his other leg gently swung from over the edge of the windowsill. It was one of the triplets, the one who pinned me down was we first met…Kanato.

I was just staring blankly at Kanato, blinking in surprise at his presence. I quickly decided I had to say something before Kanato thought I was dense.

**Too late, look at the disdainful look he's giving you- it's worse than what that Reiji guy was throwing our way before. He is **_**soooo**_** pissed we're in the same room as him, you better come up with some smooth talking to get yourself away from his wrath.**

_Oh shut up_, I thought snappily, before taking a deep breath and placing a casual smile on my face. My heart still thumped quickly from the surprise of finding the vampire here, but I had to stick to my new plan of staying calm and reading through a situation carefully in order to know how to react appropriately. Kanato was going to be my new subject to test out how I can avoid being hurt, molested or bitten- a perfect choice out of the Sakamakis since he seemed to be the most unstable. I mean, from the way I heard him throw a tantrum at his brothers for dirtying his teddy bear earlier, he can't be the most rational person in the world, right?

"O-Oh Kanato, I didn't see you there…" I tried to speak casually but it came out much more awkwardly than I planned. The thoughts of Subaru throwing me against the wall or Laito reaching his hand down towards my panties were running through my mind like a never-ending movie on repeat- it was throwing me off my game. Still, I simply shook it off, cleared my throat and tried again, this time actually nailing my usual calm and soft tone. "It's just so dark here, ya see, I didn't realise it was already occupied. How long have you been here- I hope I'm not intruding on your alone time?"

**Niiiice, that was smooth as fuck!**

The best way to deal with a spoiled little shota prone to tantrums is to make sure you don't get them riled up in the first place. I needed to be aware of how my words will affect him. Kanato narrowed his eyes, as if me even speaking in his presence was beneath him, before sighing with annoyance and hastily replying- as if he had better things to do than entertain me with a response.

"Yes, I was finally enjoying some alone time and now you've gone and spoiled it," he told me, surprisingly not in an overly snappy or annoyed tone, but instead in his typical soft and calm manner. Although, his expression told me clearly enough that he was still inconvenienced about the whole thing, I didn't presume he was actually happy that I graced his company. "And it's dark because us vampires can see just as well in the dark as you humans can in the daytime- it hurts to be in lit rooms all the time. I don't see too well in bright lights." Kanato continued to explain, his words causing my troublesome curiosity to spark and my _**dark side**_ to begin rambling on in my mind.

**Wait, does that mean that we could actually hide from them if we had enough light in a room- like, in the daytime when the sun's out and the rays are shining in through the window? Although, they could still sniff us out, I suppose…but, this could mean we could shine a flashlight in their face and it would immobilize them long enough for us to escape their grasp! This information about vampires could be very useful for any sticky situations we'll be in in the future…**

"Oh wow, that's really interesting, Kanato, I had no idea that a vampire's sight was so strong in the dark- Well, I mean, I presumed a creature of the night would have incredible sight in the dark anyway, since, you know, it's dark in the night and it's sort of in your species description and stuff…but it's nice to actually hear about it straight from a vampire's mouth! That must be so useful, I mean, my eyesight is pretty terrible even in the daytime, well, you can probably tell from when you saw me with glasses before- though I haven't had them on my face for a while now and I've been OK without them, I guess, but I'm not even sure where your pervy brother put them wh-"

"Do you never cease to speak? You're rambling on like an idiot- please refrain from doing that in my presence. It's infuriating," Kanato cut me off, his voice as sweet as ever but his narrowed eyes and deep frown showed me the danger of pushing him past his tolerance of me. "Please do not treat me as if I were a dull human like yourself, my sight is not inferior to such a boorish species, of course my eyesight will be superior to yours…even when you are wearing glasses." I shut my mouth at his words, blinking blankly at him in surprise. He was so soft spoken, like me, but his choice of words brought a hidden biting edge to the conversation that seemed almost worse than if he'd shouted them at me. He was similar to Reiji in that regard. The words he spoke were very prim, proper and professional…but at the same time just as degrading, debasing and demeaning as if he'd just thrown a string of insults towards me. _There's always something much more menacing and sadistic about speaking to someone in a calculated and well-spoken manner than if they'd just screamed a bunch of profanities and brutal threats…_

I swallowed my disappointment of being unable to refrain from my rambling tendency (even in such a delicate situation) and began to idly twiddle my thumbs behind my back. I casually rocked on the balls of my feet, like a guilty child who just got caught stealing from the cookie jar. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to annoy you..." I mumbled towards him dejectedly, unable to look anywhere but at the floor as my head drooped down childishly.

I didn't want to pull an Oscar winning 'perfect pet' performance every time I was around the Sakamakis, that would be too exhausting to manage all the time, so I knew that being as honest and as natural around them as I possibly could (before it became detrimental to my safety) would help me feel more comfortable when forced to interact with them. Besides, I hated liars with a burning passion- a little white lie here and there never hurt somebody, but basing my entire personality around them on a lie was a bit too much for me to handle.

"_Humph_, well, I suppose your presence has brought me something to think about," he finally retorted, looking back out the open window again. It was swung open as wide as it possibly could be, the cold air blowing in now fighting with the cozy heat of the fire as it mixed and mingled in the centre of the room. The storm was still going on and Kanato seemed to be watching the rainfall. A thoughtful- and surprisingly mature- expression crossed his youthful features as he gazed at the heavy sheet of rain falling from the sky. An 'oh' sound innocently left my lips at his words as I curiously gazed at him, my head now cocked to the side with interest. "Yes, now I can wonder about how a mere human like yourself can make her eyes glow that curious apricot colour- or, if you are human at all." My breath caught in my throat at his words. I'd completely forgotten my eyes had been glowing this entire time. Whoops.

"Oh, you…you noticed that, huh? You're a very observant guy, aren't you? I guess you don't need night vision to notice something like that, right? Ha ha…ha." My casual tone slipped slightly at the end- mostly due to my own realisation of the problems this could cause- but I managed to reign myself in for most of the sentence, play it off as a joke. Besides, Kanato didn't seem very bothered by it, just as Subaru had acted earlier.

**Well done, keep this up and in another hour the entire Sakamaki clan will figure out you're not entirely human. Soon you'll be thoroughly interrogated about your species- why don't you just tell dear Kanato here about the voice in your head that tells you to kill him while you're at it, hmm? Would he be bothered by that?**

_Don't take that tone with me, I get it, I screwed up, ok!? There's nothing I can do about it, now that three of them know…what's the point of even hiding it anymore? Besides, just because Laito said he wasn't gonna tell anybody doesn't mean that he really was gonna do that saying that Subaru's a loner that probably doesn't share much with his brothers was just a presumption that could always have been wrong…_ My heart palpitated at the realisation that Kanato now knew of one of my supernatural skills, but I still tried my best to just play it off like it wasn't a big deal. I gulped deeply, finding it hard to swallow, before trying to change the subject to something else. I didn't need an educated vampire prince thinking too much about what my glowing eyes meant.

"So, why were you in this room anyway, Kanato? I noticed that you guys don't have gaming consoles or cable or anything in your living rooms here so…" I was directing his attention away from myself so that he didn't sit and spend ages thinking about my glowing ability.

"I was looking out the window, although I'd originally just come in here to open all the curtains- keeping them closed would be ever so inelegant, don't you think?" He spoke in a very offhand but matter-of-fact way, as if I should already magically know of such knowledge and he was annoyed at having to remind me. He was definitely similar to Reiji in regards to speaking to me in such a demeaning tone, although Kanato differed from his big brother in the fact that his mellow voice was admittedly much more pleasant to listen to. My smile widened at the progress I was making with speaking casually to him- even if he was clearly wishing I was anywhere but in his presence.

I giggled softly in response to his question and began to gush in admiration about how elegant the entire mansion was and that his choice of opening the curtains was definitely the right one, before finishing off with admitting my love of watching a storm play out when inside. When he didn't reply, only deepening his frown, I followed up with a question about him liking to watch the rain as well. Unfortunately, I didn't get the response I wanted. "…If you have no business here, can you please hurry along and leave my presence now- you're a very annoying individual I'd rather not deal with without proper reason." My mouth stuttered to a close, the glow of my eyes flashing in shock like failing headlights on a car as I stared silently at him like an idiot.

**BWAH HAHA HAHA! Oh my god, you were just totally ignored then, what a cruel bastard for saying it so offhandedly as well. Geez, he really thinks he's all that, don't he? …. Are you sure we can't punch some manners into this snot nosed brat? I'm sure a punch won't kill him- just a little nose bleed, that's all I'm asking for here…**

_I'd rather not, he's acting very calm right now, maybe it's just best if I pick the battle about his manners at a later date,_ I thought sourly, honestly thinking for a second that I was actually beginning to warm up to him. So much for an engaging conversation…all I'm doing is pissing him off with my questions. Well, as much as I wanted to leave his presence just as he was 'persuading' me to…the enticing warmth of the fire was causing my legs to stiffen in protest. The flames and the heat that came from them were drawing me in, conflicting with the very logical decision of just heeding the vampire's words and leaving safely while I still could.

**Although, to be fair to the little bloodsucking bastard, he doesn't look like he plans to actually hurt us…maybe we could stay and warm ourselves a little bit longer before turning tail and heading out?**

_Well, I suppose it can't hurt to stay here for a few more minutes, if he's OK with it, that is…I mean, I want to understand these vampires better after all, and seeing if I can casually interact with them without it ending with his mouth against my neck might give me some confidence about actually living with them…._

But the thought of the purple haired prince on top of me, spouting words about how he was going to suck me dry, suddenly popped into my head. Although he seemed less blood driven than Subaru and less sex driven than Laito, I couldn't just dismiss the fact that he had pinned me under him and was readily going to suck me dry with his triplet brothers an hour after I walked through the door. In the end, I decided to risk staying, simply for the sake of testing out my new strategies of avoiding the Sakamakis draining me of blood.

**Yeah, good plan. Every time a Sakamaki had been mere seconds away from drinking our blood, some Ex Machina crap has got in the way and stopped them. Maybe we should actually see what happens when you're all alone with only yourself to help you, just like in the crappy old days of living in the church…. maybe then you'll appreciate your good old **_**dark side's**_** tendency to appear and get rid of the problem for you…**

I didn't bother replying to her, due to her final comment and the smug way it was executed. She wasn't wrong, after all. I focused my mind on Kanato, pushing that little voice to the back of my mind. I had to do this for myself, I had to know if I could do this without relying on her. I've been begging for my _**dark sides**_ help when dealing with the Sakamakis way too much, she's starting to gain a superiority complex, I know it.

"Well, I do have some business actually, nothing too major, I'm just trying to warm my body using the fire- I've been walking around like a wet rat for an hour and I couldn't find any other rooms, especially one with the fire lit. Is it ok if I just stay here and warm up for a little bit?" I said, my voice unshaken and as charismatic as ever. I felt like going the whiny or pleading route would irritate him. He stared at me intensely with his blank violet eyes, making me feel as though he were staring not at me, but right _through_ me instead. It was unnerving, making my palms sweat profusely…but I tried not to let it show, discreetly wiping my palms on the sides of Subaru's jacket and breathing deeply to slow down my heartbeat.

He sat considering my words for several moments before a disapproving frown finally befell his expression. He sighed deeply in annoyance, before permitting me the use of the room as long as I wasn't too bothersome and didn't ask any unnecessary questions. I grinned widely, feeling my persuasive nature actually made it through to him. I thanked him with genuine gratitude, the gratitude not so much for the gesture of allowing me to stay, but for the fact he didn't make some sort of deal such as 'Ok, you can have the room as long as I get to suck a pint of your blood, _hurr hurr hurr_", or something along those lines. I sat back down again and comfortably warmed my face, hands and body by the fireplace.

We stayed in silence for several minutes, the silence surprisingly comfortable as Kanato shifted his attention to looking outside at the pouring rain and I moved the focus of my attention back to the dancing flames of the fire. Although comfortable, I couldn't help but keep sneaking glances at Kanato, telling myself that it was to study the vampire form further, when I really was just noting mostly meaningless things about his appearance. Such as the fullness of his cheeks, the fluffiness of his violet locks or the fact that his eyes were so large and round they resembled a helpless doe's almost as much as mine. Despite knowing he was seventeen, just like his other triplet brothers, I couldn't help but think about how much he resembled a prepubescent boy of twelve or thirteen. If it weren't for the fact that even so, his height and physical looks still surpassed mine, I could almost make fun of him for the fact he looked so young for a vampire who was no doubt hundreds of years old. Still, despite being a bloodsucking monster bent on making me his walking blood bento…he was undeniably cute.

"If you want to say something to me, can you hurry up and do so. Your insufferable staring is undeniably troublesome for me to ignore- and if you're going to keep making that stupid expression on your face, I suggest you leave the room immediately and pull that expression elsewhere," Kanato finally piped up, turning to stare at me with eyebrows slanted with deep discontent. I jumped with surprise, startled that my staring had been so obvious. I immediately looked away from him, looking back at the fire in embarrassment as a sheepish grin spread across my face.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about how cu-_handsome _you look, that's all. I love your hair colour, people would kill for a dye that shade, you know," I honestly admitted, making an effort to not call him cute as I found that men seemed very insulted by such descriptions. _How fragile a man's ego can be when it comes to 'masculinity'._ Kanato didn't say anything to my total over sharing, simply staring at me with an unreadable expression for several seconds before rolling his eyes and turning to look out of the window again. I decided to change the subject. "Oh, erm, I was also…wandering about your teddy- yes, your teddy bear! He's very unique, I've never seen a teddy bear designed like him before, you know, with the eye patch and vest and all," I smoothly added, a wide grin on my face. "Does he have a cute name to go with his cute appearance?" I wasn't being entirely dishonest with the description of the bear, I had called the bear both creepy AND cute when I'd first seen it.

"…Teddy," he curtly replied, not even turning to look at me when answering my question. He was very clearly ending the conversation before it could go anywhere. I ignored his tone and smiled wider, saying that that was a simple but very suitable name for such a bear. He nodded bluntly before stating in a low and possessive tone that Teddy was his and his alone, and that he was the only one that spoke to Teddy because of that. "I am more than enough of a conversation partner for him…. Ne, Teddy?" I was a little creeped out by the possessive way he said those words, him squeezing his bear tighter around the neck in possessive glee. It was extremely clear 'Teddy' was a very precious item to him. I just nodded my head in understanding and blurted out a casual 'Oh, ok!'. Kanato turned to glare at me. "So, is that all you wanted? Surely you must be warmed to the bone by now. Please hurry and get out of my sight." He sounded like he'd reached the limit of his patience towards me, and I noticed it immediately.

I stood up, dusting myself off before cheerfully saluting Kanato a quick goodbye. "Thank you for letting me warm up Kanato, and thank you for that pleasant conversation- I know I was annoying you with all of my questions, so please excuse my nosiness. I'm just too curious for my own good, hehe," I said with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of my head as I laughed heartily. I watched Kanato's irritated frown and slanted eyebrows deepen, but realising that he wasn't going to entertain me with a reply, I just shrugged off his cold exterior and moved to exit the room. I was pleased by how well our meeting had gone, thinking maybe Kanato wasn't as unstable and prone to tantrums as I initially thought.

_If only I had left the room when I had the chance…if only I hadn't been too presumptuous in my victory…if only…_

I was two steps, _two steps_, away from freedom, my head already out of the room when Kanato called out to me to inquire about something. I paused, cursing internally.

"Actually, all this talking has made me quite thirsty, and since you are the cause for all this chatter, don't you feel it's your duty to parch my throat?" My heart jumped into my throat, a strange strangled groan escaping me at his words. I decided to play innocent.

"Huh? Oh, of course, how thoughtless of me to not think about what all this talking was doing to you. I'll get that for you right away…. but, erm, what exactly is it you'd like to drink?" My tone was just as cheerful as my goodbye had been, so as not to show Kanato my nerves, but I was definitely sure his supernatural hearing could pick up on my pounding heart. Kanato simply stated he wanted me to bring him something that warmed him, which still screamed 'your blood' to me, before adding that he'd prefer the beverage in a tea cup and my heart crushing worry loosened considerably. Kanto couldn't have been talking about my blood if he wanted it in a tea cup, right?

**Unless rich vampires just liked to be super posh about consuming the blood of humans and just drink it from a china tea cup like it was Earl Grey or something.**

I pretended not to hear my _**dark side**_ speak, but the mention of Earl Grey caused me to carefully ask him if tea would be suitable to quench his thirst. After a tense few moments of deliberation, he nodded his head in agreement.

"Well, I, erm, have a full cup of some tea I found earlier- I-I kept the cup by the fire so it should still be hot!" I moved to get it, almost falling straight into the flames of the fire as I clumsily tripped over my own two feet during my hastened scurrying. I didn't rush back to Kanato once the teacup was in my hand however, it much too risky in case I spilled the tea and he took my blood as an alternative or, God help me, I actually spilled it on Kanato himself and he wanted revenge. No amount of persuasive conversation would save me from that mess of a situation.

I carefully tiptoed towards Kanato, trying to keep the cup steady in my hand but finding it shaking considerably anyway, the liquid inside sloshing dangerously close to the tea cup's rim. I passed it to him as if it was as precious and rare as the holy grail, worried that tampering with it in any way before it was given to him would result in me committing some great sin. I told him to be careful since it was so hot, and a very polite _'arigatou gozaimasu'_ was given to me in return. I watched him with bubbling nervousness rising from under my skin as he ever so daintily held the cup's handle between his forefinger and thumb and brought the rim of the cup to his lips. Silence surrounded us as I stood in front of him tensely, worried the ginger tea wasn't to his liking. The stress of the situation and how it was affecting me was clear by the sweat that began to pour down the back of my neck. I held my breath in anticipation as he lowered the cup from his lips and turned to gaze at me with that vaguely bored expression he tended to wear. I bit my lip with worry.

He held out his hand to me, palm facing up, obviously signalling for me to hand him something. But I didn't know what. I cast him a bewildered look, before he simply glanced down at my hands, which were currently clutching the bottom of Subaru's jacket in childish fright. He wanted me to put my hands into his. I gulped nervously. I normally wouldn't mind doing such a basic action, but the cold detachment reflecting in his violet eyes told me this wasn't an affectionate hand holding session.

I tried to ask my _**dark side**_ what the best course of action was but she seemed to have gone back to the deep recesses of my mind, the connection between us cut off once again- no doubt because of that strange injection. I felt my heart palpitate wildly as I realised how much my _**dark side's**_ crude little comments were helping me stay calm and think rationally, before shrugging off my fears and telling myself to focus. _I wanted to see if I could deal with the problem on my own, I can't take it back now I've gotten exactly what I wanted- this is like Karma, right?_

Swallowing any second thoughts of chickening out and turning tail, I flashed him a wary smile before quickly but gently placing my left hand atop his outstretched palm. I found that even while having the pudgy little sausage fingers of a child, Kanato's similarly child-like hand still managed to be bigger than mine, his long and dainty fingers sprawled out like the legs of a spider. I stayed silent as I waited for him to open his mouth and speak. He was glaring at me much more obviously now, a deep frown on his delicate features.

"Ahh…._Akako_, was it? This tea isn't good at all, you know," he stated, entirely calm and without a hint of anger or loss of composure. He was eerily detached in his opinion of the tea. I let out a shaky breath, grinning widely despite the rush of fear his displeasure brought me. I briefly laughed and said-

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Kanato! It was the only drink available to me since I don't know where the kitchen is, and I'm just so useless at navigating this huge ass place, I could lose my head if it wasn't attach-' I was cut off as Kanato's outstretched hand suddenly clenched shut, his fingers squeezing my own hand so tightly I felt my fingers audibly crack under the strong hold. Kanato's action had been so quick and calculated, it was almost like a Venus fly trap catching the clueless fly. The difference in this instance being I willingly reached out towards his grasp in the first place. I stiffened in surprise at the sudden pain, feeling my arm automatically bend to rid my hand of the sudden pressure, my other hand gripping the wrist of the captured as I tried to pull it back out from his grasp. Still, I kept calm, reminding myself that I'd dealt with worse back at the shrine with Subaru. "K-Kanato, let me go, please. You're, ahh, holding my, erm, hand pretty tightly there…." I blurted out in a mildly casual tone. My voice was shaky as I tried to hide the pain I was feeling, but the friendliness I was trying to convey was clear enough in my tone. I continued to smile at him sweetly, hoping it would persuade him to actually listen to me.

He released my hand almost the instant I asked, but just before I could safely nestle my arm against my body…Kanato decided to dump the contents of the teacup onto that very same hand. I yelled loudly, the pain of the boiling hot liquid exploding across my hand in a brief but intense supernova of heat. I clutched my hand to my breast as if it were a screaming child that I was comforting, wincing as I tried to touch the skin with my other hand only to find the burn protesting with another shot of pain across my hand and down my wrist. I could see the skin becoming redder as the intense pain subsided within seconds, all that was left was the dull stinging of my now inflamed skin. It was an extremely mild burn, my toughened skin used to the horrors of heat, and with my quickened healing, the most I would get from the action would be some light peeling of the skin after a few minutes. The pain would disappear completely in a mere few moments…but it was pain I felt nevertheless.

_I'm more concerned about the purple haired devil who's just poured the extremely hot drink on me, if I'm being honest…_

I glared at Kanato with unrestrained emotion, my eyes glowing bright as I gritted my teeth in barely contained rage. Kanato simply scoffed at my expression, as if I was just some kid pretending to be a 'monster' in a game and was just pulling a face, Kanato even daring to turn his nose up at my injury with the most blasé expression I'd ever seen in my life. The seed of hatred buried deeper inside of me.

"That tea was almost as awful as your scream of pain. Please go fix the situation and make me something else- I do not care about the trouble you must go to to find a kitchen, I want a drink and you will give it to me regardless of how much time and effort it takes you," he stated in an almost bored tone, watching as I became even more riled by his comment.

_W-What? How can he just expect me to get him another drink after doing something like that to me!?_

"I understand it was a drink you didn't like, but I've only just met you so you can't expect me to know everything right away- learning about someone's tastes takes some guessing at the start, right?" My eyes nearly popped out of my sockets and my jaw nearly unhinged and fell to the floor at his attitude, the nickname of 'spoiled little prince' not being so far from the truth in this case. I waved my arms dramatically as I spoke, finding that speaking at a level tone but being very animated during my rants got the point across to unreasonable people much better than just standing there and screaming in their face. Plus, I didn't want him to get mad and throw me into the fireplace or something- I still had enough sense in me to speak at a reasonable level regardless of my anger. Shouting at Subaru hadn't worked very well before, so I'm sure it won't work now.

"I own you now, and so it is your job to please me every time without fail, regardless of long we have been acquainted for," he simply retorted. I took a massive breath at his words, breathing through my nose in an attempt to slow my heavy breaths as I tried to calm down before I said something I would gonna regret. I changed tactics and decided it was best to steer the conversation away from who owned who- it was exhausting enough to lecture Subaru about it and I didn't think Kanato would be the sort of brother who let my pretty radical words about the ownership of my body slide.

"I…I understand that, Kanato, but if the tea really was as bad as it seemed, you could've just said so without this whole tea spilling malarkey…." I mumbled quietly, me glancing sullenly at my feet, which began to shuffle restlessly as they often did during these sort of moments. My tone when I spoke this time was considerably sulkier than I'd wanted it to be.

A mischievous little smirk broke through his dull expression at my words however, his eyes narrowing into a sinister gaze as he clutched his teddy bear tighter. He had the look of a very arrogant young child about to prove his parents wrong. _**"…Ehh? Are you giving me back talk? An insignificant human like you dares to talk back to someone like me?"**_ The underlying threat of his tone caused an unsettling chill to crawl up my spine, my head whipping up so that I could stare at him with wide eyes.

Defying him was definitely not part of any plan of mine.

"Well, you said you can't be expected to know everything about me because you just met me, right? But then, shouldn't you have been asking me what sort of beverages I like instead of just assuming and going through some longwinded trial and error approach towards my tastes?" His now smug tone caused me to clench my mouth shut instantly, a thoughtful expression flashing across my face. _He had a point, to be fair…_ His expression then turned serious as he followed up with a demand. "Now then, you are going to make me some more tea- _much nicer_ tea- and bring it back to me post haste, okay?"

I swallowed down my bitterness at the whole ginger tea issue and decided it was best to just leave it alone, finding that just like with Subaru giving them even the tiniest inkling that I was going to defy their orders meant some pretty harsh punishments were heading my way. I straightened up, no longer cradling my burnt hand as I forced both of them down by my side, trying to convey the strength I held. I nodded my head in conviction, determination burning strongly in my dull eyes. Kanato giggled, a pleased smile spreading across his cheeks. Pairing the grin with his wide and rarely blinking eyes however made his happy expression much more crazed than cute.

"_Fufu_… such a good girl you are." This was the first time since the start of this encounter that he actually sounded pleased or even affectionate towards me, but the reasons behind his tone still unnerved me. Still, I kept the complacent expression on my face, even widening my smile to seem pleased by his words of praise.

Deep down, in some sick, twisted way, I might actually be happy about the positive words, but it was very much a subconscious feeling drawn from my fiercely powerful need to crave and seek affection from even the shittiest of people- but that deep psychoanalysis of myself was for another time. Right now, I had bigger things to worry about.

Kanato once again reached for my injured hand, clutching it just as tightly as he had before. I hissed with displeasure, but stopped myself from instinctively pulling my hand back, forcing myself to keep it in his grasp. I didn't want to give him any reason to think I was defying him. I winced as he brought my hand up close to his face, forcefully turning it this way and that as he studied it closely. I could hear him mumbling something under his breath, his voice so soft it was hard to hear. I could feel my ears twitching slightly from the effort of picking up his words.

"Oh, the tea must have caused all of this, mustn't it?" He was talking to himself, his tone gleeful. "It must've been really hot, huh? How pitiful..." The sympathetic air he put on seemed more insulting than if he had made fun of the injury with malice in his tone.

I watched him warily, thinking my burnt skin had just healed and I was worried he was going to cause further damage to my hand. To distract him from thinking about my hand and the potential injuries he could cause to it, I moved onto dismissing his claims of my defiance.

"Okay then, Kanato, you're right, I should've just asked you from the beginning, I apologise for giving you ginger tea when I didn't even know if you liked it or not - I don't like it myself either if I'm being honest," I said, holding a smile on my face even Miss Universe would find hard to compete with. I hoped that a grimace of pain wasn't showing through my shining smile. I forced myself to just forgive Kanato for his actions, just as I had done with Subaru when he threw me around like a ragdoll, the forgive and forget mentality the only way I could ever stand to be in the same room as these sadistic creatures of the night. "So…what sort of drinks do you like then, if ginger tea isn't your type of drink?"

I watched breathlessly as he briefly hummed in thought, still closely inspecting my hand, before telling me that he only liked sweet drinks and that he hated bitter drinks like ginger tea. I let out the breath I was holding, nodding my head in understanding. I explained to him with a relieved smile that I also preferred sweet things, a hot chocolate being something I could never pass up. I once again apologised for giving him such a bitter drink, my cheeky grin and tone coming through my nerves as I began to boast that I made the most amazing hot chocolate and it would be on par with the high quality hot chocolates he was raised on. I continued to boast, assuring him I would make sure he'd would be so allured by my sweet drink, he'll want to marry me after the first sip alone. Kanato's expression was unreadable, and when he didn't say anything back, I was worried my excitement to exclaim about my hot chocolate making skills had annoyed him.

Instead, I was surprised when he bent his head down and moved the injured hand in his grasp towards his lips. He gently kissed my hand as a prince from a storybook would do to a fair maiden, his lips so soft and his action so gentle, it didn't even sting when he pressed them directly against the still slightly tender skin. I froze in utter disbelief at the action, thinking he must've only been doing it to throw me off my game. Well, if that really was his plan, he had succeeded in messing with my head. But before I could really react, my mouth still agape and my eyes still wide, a somewhat charming expression settled on his features. Kanato rose his head to look me straight in the eye once again, my hand still in his.

"Do you understand what it means to be chosen by a Sakamaki? I mean, do you fully comprehend the situation?" I stared blankly at his words, unsure what to say. I mean, I wanted to say yes- I'm probably more prepared than the other clueless sacrifices that walked in here due to sheer experience with this sort of thing- but I felt like the question was more rhetorical than literal, and so I kept my mouth shut, instead shrugging casually with a carefree expression. His smile slowly widened into a delicate grin, his head cocked to the side in amusement. "Haha, if not, I'll be glad to teach you…"

My pulse jolted at his words, my hands becoming clammy with fear. His next words sent a horrible shiver through my body in the most chilling manner.

_**"That body of yours, it belongs to me now. I'll fully carve any and every part of me into you, little by little if I have to…"**_

I yelped as he pulled me closer, his eyes wide and staring into mine like a black hole ready to devour me whole. I could feel sweat starting to collect on my brow as the hairs on my neck stood to attention. I was petrified by those words. Still, I gulped down my fear and attempted to keep whatever grasp on the situation I still had.

"P-Please, Kanato, I…I understand your desires, but at least give me the chance to have a shower and freshen up- I, I'd prefer to be decent around such royalty instead of continuing to be in the presence of a vampire prince in this m-muddy state," my words were spoken shakily but the persuading charm of my expression were crystal clear as I stared at Kanato with the hope he would understand. It was a tense few moments as Kanato sat back in surprise at my words, probably expecting some sort of pleading for my life instead of a plea to let me have a shower. I felt immense pressure weighing on my shoulders as he stared at me questioningly, trying to figure out what was going on in my strange little mind. Eventually, he inhaled through his nose deeply before turning away from me with deep offense, as if only just noticing my current state. I could sense by his silence and the displeased expression that he was deliberating whether to let me go or not, and I took the opportunity to continue pleading my case. "Please, Kanato, besides finding a way to warm myself up, I was trying to find someone who could take me back to my room upstairs. A…a foolish human like myself doesn't have the natural navigation skills to find my way around this manor...I need your help." A pleased expression crossed his face as I called myself 'a foolish human', a brief laugh escaping him at my pathetic tone. I had hoped that doing these degrading things would appeal to him, knowing these few seconds of shamelessness would be worthwhile in the long run if he actually took me to my room. And sure enough, Kanato voiced out his pleasure at my 'self-realisation of who I truly was'. He told me that a 'pathetic creature such as myself' would be wise to grovel to someone like him for help… in the end, he found my pleading tone so delightful that he agreed to lead me to the guest bedroom where I now resided- though he did warn me he would return to finish what he started.

My expression brightened at his words, preparing to get up and leave the room the moment those words left his mouth. I thanked him profusely, asking him which way it was to the staircase. He giggled and said he didn't use such primitive methods to get to his room, and he certainly wouldn't make such a climb for something like me. I stared at him in bewilderment, slowly asking him how he was to show me to my room, before he told me a vampire like himself has much quicker methods than using one's feet….

I opened my mouth to ask Kanato what he meant, wondering if he was going to fly like Subaru had, before another memory flashed through my mind, a different memory. It was of when I first met all the Sakamakis- how Ayato kept scaring me by teleporting right in front of me, and how I pieced together how he'd used that skill to get to the living room before me and Reiji could walk to it. It didn't take a genius to figure out where this was going. A yelp escaped me as Kanato unexpectedly grabbed my free hand, holding a firm but not painful grip on both of my hands. As an intense dizziness suddenly enveloped my mind, Kanato laughed loudly, the sound echoing and ringing through my ears. I tried to stop Kanato but my mouth no longer seemed to function, my eyes squeezing shut as I felt myself succumbing to the darkness of unconsciousness, the feeling of weightlessness spreading throughout my body….

…

…

…

_How should I go about accepting these circumstances, living with such mean creatures of the night? I'm completely lost. No matter how I go about making my new life easier for myself, I can't seem to make anything work…_


	8. Bubble bath ain't meant to be green

It took a full 15 minutes before the sickening dizziness began to dim. My vision blurred horribly, the room wasn't spinning, it was _vibrating_. Combine that with a dozen Taiko drummers using my frontal lobe for practice, and I was dramatically lurching across the room like the town drunk. I'd never had any sort of travel sickness before, but travelling on trains and airplanes was worlds apart from _teleporting_ with a vampire. I had no idea they could even take someone with them when they teleported, but of course, it was just my luck, _**or lack thereof**_, to discover first-hand the nauseating consequences of the action.

**U-urrgh, f, fu, fu-cking psycho, h-he knew this would h-happen to us….next time I-I-I…see…him, I'll shove his p-precious T-eddy, up his ass…!**

My _**dark side's**_ voice was faint and echoing as it battled to be heard above my pounding headache, her words slurred as she too felt the nausea our shared body experienced. Once the intense vertigo had finally passed, I realised with a groan that at some point in my dizzy spell I'd ended up on the floor. I was sprawled out half sat up against the dresser, which I must have clipped with my arm on the tumble down since I noticed stationary and books scattered around me. A strained sound of annoyance passed my pursed lips. After groggily throwing all the junk back on the desk, I turned to the direction of a particular door.

I had quite a few extra doors leading out of my room: There was the glass double doors that led to the balcony I had yet to walk out on, hiding behind the pale pink satin of curtains, there was the white wooden sliding doors that I'd already figured out led to a spacious walk-in wardrobe, them having been (and still are) wide open since I'd first woken up, and there was the last door I had yet to investigate. An ensuite bathroom.

I ambled on wobbly legs towards the bathroom, finding it just as expensive and grand as every other room I'd come across in the mansion- for god's sake, even the bathroom was lit by a grand, candle-filled chandelier!

If I'd come into here when I first arrived, I might have thought that having open flames in a room that was meant to get wet and steamy seemed like a stupid idea, but my recent ponderings on the candles had already brought me closer and closer to the possibility that the candles were enchanted in some way: They were either lit up or burnt out at the most convenient of times, they never seemed to be blown out by external forces and the candle wax never seemed to melt and drip down the wick. Some form of magic was the only explanation.

**Yeah, the candles give off very **_**Harry Potter**_** vibes, don't they? I'm surprised they don't float as well.**

Slowly walking across the room, I could hear the muddy soles of my feet squeak painfully loud against the clean saffron tile floor. The bath had been placed atop an elevated part of the bathroom, three square tiers stacked on top of each other in such a way that all 4 sides of it could act as stairs up to the tub. It was a pristine white clawfoot model, the large carving of the Sakamaki crest on the wall just behind it showcasing the reason why the bathroom was so expensively built. These boys were royalty- this meant even the walking food only deserved the best facilities to use.

**Hmmm, with a bath this big, you could more than comfortably share the tub with another, you know? Who are we to stop the fun if Laito decides to tell his 'Bitch-Chan' it's bath time and personally washes us down like the dirty bitch we ar-**

_I'm about 2 seconds away from throwing up, that thought is more nauseous than the teleporting travel sickness…_ I thought to her with an unamused tone, before adding-_ Although, I did read somewhere that shower sex can get you really…wet! _with (a _very_ poorly masked) internal giggle, completely ruining the stern mood of my argument. A thought then crossed me._ Hey, wait, didn't you try to kill Laito for grabbing our panties before? Isn't it too soon to be making jokes about sleeping with him!?_

I could hear her racy laughter fill my head, saying that the bastard still disgusted her, but **'a girl got urges, you know?'**. She apparently couldn't pass up the chance to **'fuck a guy so hot, he rocks a fucking fedora and **_**still**_** looks like a sex god'**...

Having made it to the bath, I moved to turn the knob of the bronze mixer taps. Even while hearing the powerful stream of water push itself through the antique pipes, I was still surprised by just how much water exploded out from the spout, the tub filling in record time. I was used to having to wait ages for the slow trickle of water to fill even a quarter of my traditional Japanese tub back at my old hideout. I excitedly messed with the knob for the HOT/COLD settings, a spark of curiosity coursing through me as I aimed to figure out how to get the perfect temperature, feeling very much like a kid playing engineer.

Feeling satisfied in my control of the mixer, I moved from the edge of the bath to comb through the floating glass shelves that lined the wall the tub lay against, surprised by the many lotions and potions that were crammed onto them. This was more than the complimentary shampoo and conditioner you would get in a hotel. I couldn't even pronounce, let alone understand, half of the fancy scientific words on the bottles- some of them foreign brands so I couldn't even begin to figure out what they were actually for_._ Nevertheless, by the time I'd finished bombarding the water with a random concoction of mixed products, cackling like some evil witch brewing a potion in a caldron; the water had turned a strange magenta colour and the froth from the bubble bath was every possible shade of green.

After taking a moment to gaze at the tub with a huge triumphant grin, extremely proud of my handiwork, I excitedly began stripping. I was almost squealing with joy as I slithered out of Subaru's jacket and shed the remainder of my tightly clinging negligée like a snake leaving its old skin, the tattered remainders of the pink monstrosity pooling at my feet. It seemed silly, being so excited by a mere bath, but after everything I'd been through in the past few hours with Laito, Subaru and Kanato…I knew I deserved a moment to relax and be alone, to compensate for the shitty time I'd been having so far.

Gingerly slipping a foot into the bathwater, an audible moan escaped me as I slipped further into the water. Only my head peeked out from the depths of the temperate liquid. I felt the heat of the water soothe my aching muscles and the bath salts relieve my bruised skin, mild stinging from the scratches scattered across my body being the only discomfort I felt. _Super healing sounds like a cool ability until you realise it's not instant_, I thought with a deep sigh, knowing that my healing power only meant the black and blue evidence of Subaru's brute strength would be completely gone in the morning as opposed to next week. Grabbing every single rose scented product on the shelf, I moved to gingerly scrubbing every curve and edge of my tender body, drowning every strand of hair on my head with deep conditioner. It was only after the tedious task of ridding every evidence of the forest from my body, that I finally allowed myself to enjoy the appeal of a long soak in the bath.

At first, I had been worried by the thoughts of Laito barging in to peek at my naked form, or Kanato to keep to his word and 'finish what he started' right this second- the lock on the door no barrier to the strength and forcefulness of the vampire's I lived with. But the more I inhaled the scented bubble bath and the more I let my body float in tranquil bliss, the less stress I felt about them and the more subdued my mind became. _Why should I have to check behind my back every second and live in paranoid hell while in my own room?_ _This should be the only place in the entire mansion I can call my own_…but I knew, even as I thought that, that boys wouldn't share the same view.

**Fuck 'em, **my _**dark side**_ told me firmly,** if the boys bother us, there's nothing we can do about it, but I am not about to allow you to starve yourself of private time or peace of mind just because their mother never taught the inconsiderate bastards some manners!**

After a moment of hesitating, I begrudgingly agreed. I closed my eyes, letting my mind drift aimlessly to whatever thoughts it happened to come across. But it wasn't long before a certain… _theme_ kept popping up. And as the thoughts became more detailed, prolonged, my hands seemed to move of their own accord. They explored my body, knowing exactly which areas would bring me to the _**climax**_…. of my fantasies. My left hand '_explored the caves'_ hidden in the depths of the water. By the time I left the bath, the water had become room temperature, and I felt the chill in the air the instant I left the safety of the tub. It had taken longer than I'd thought to _'finish'_, the thought of the Sakamaki's sadistic schemes deciding to pop up at the worst of times.

**Oh come on, don't lie like that, I saw that memory of Laito pulling our panties down pop up at some point during our 'relaxation time'…I'm pretty sure that scene about what happened **_**after**_** he was about to take our underwear down didn't go down like that in real life, hmm? That sure didn't ruin the mood for you like all the other thoughts of 'em, in fact, I think it turned you on even mor-**

_Don't_, I thought in cold warning_, just don't even finish that sentence. _I hated that my _**dark side **_had to not just witness, but always (without fail) bring up my more shameful thoughts. What went on in my fantasies didn't change the fact that they were blood sucking assholes who were my obstacle between me being a free woman with _her_ right now. I can restrain myself from not allowing my thoughts to become reality, unlike my desire-driven _**dark side**__…_

As I met the fluffy embrace of a large towel, I noticed, as the water began to swirl down the drain, that there was a bright pink rim left around the bath. I laughed, wondering just how excessive I'd been with the products I'd had at my disposal. I should have some self-control with them, before I leave the bath with chemical burns or something.

Opening the bathroom door, the accumulated steam in the room escaping with a _whoosh_, I immediately ran and threw myself onto my bed, rolling onto my back and spreading my limbs out wide. I let out a huge sigh of relief, a giggle escaping through it, feeling the most relaxed and optimistic about my position here since I'd very first arrived. It was probably because of 'that'. I considered getting up to get my suitcase and put some clothes on, but all I could think of in that moment was the feeling of the silk sheets against my newly washed skin. I was so content; my eyelids were beginning to close from drowsiness.

But just before consciousness truly slipped my mind, a knock on the door jolted me back to the reality of my situation. Just because I didn't want to turn into Princess Paranoid, that didn't mean I could just slack off and nap whenever I felt like it- I had to be somewhat vigilant!

The visitor knocked again. It was a short, formal and 'no nonsense' knock- three short raps in quick succession of each other. I sat up cautiously, not sure if I should call out or not. I knew I couldn't just pretend I wasn't in, they could follow the scent of my blood from every corner of the mansion like a blood hound- a literal _blood_ hound! After a third attempt at knocking, I was worried whoever was there would start to get annoyed by my silence, so I cleared my throat and called out. Thankfully for me, my voice came out steady and clear.

"…. yeah?" Before even a moment had passed, a voice promptly replied "It's me". I recognised that smooth voice anywhere, it was Reiji. But what was he doing here? I rolled my eyes and groaned with displeasure, before quickly covering my mouth, worried he'd heard my none-too-pleased sound to his presence through the door. I barely had 5 seconds to ponder on the thought though before he questioned why I was making him wait, and asked that I open the door post haste. Well, I guess I had no choice but to obey. I jumped off the bed and rushed to answer the door. Looking up innocently at him from behind the door, I locked eyes with Reiji through the veil of my still damp lashes.

"Good grief…you certainly are a woman who takes her time." I hear him mutter under his breath, tutting like a father telling his child off. I laughed lightly and casually joked that we can't all have super vampire speed, my winning grin faltering when I realised my joke fell flat with the uptight man. I then had to awkwardly apologise for my slowness, his expectant gaze clear enough. Reiji peered down at me with an unimpressed scowl, slowly pushing up his glasses as he moved from looking at my grinning mug down to the rest of me, staring sternly at my current attire. The towel that covered me was smaller than expected and it made it very difficult to cover the top _and_ bottom of me at the same time. With wide, curvy hips and chunky thighs, the towel was straining to stay wrapped around me. My chest meanwhile, while nothing more than average at best, still struggled not to spill out. _If the two redheads were here, I'm sure they'd be having a field day at the sight of me_. I wasn't decent enough to be in the presence of the ever proper and pristine Reiji, and the vampire made it a point to remind me of it via his voicing of my 'unladylike indecency'. I internally cringed as he slandered my current appearance, scolding me like a strict father seeing his daughter try to leave the house in a mini skirt.

**You think he's gay or something? He should treat the female form with higher regards…you were right, at least if Laito or Ayato was here, they would complement our **_**amazingly **_**sexy female form.**

_There's a thin line between confidence in your own skin and arrogance of your beauty, you know_, I thought with exasperation. I had one hand on the door handle and the other on my chest to stop my towel from slipping down and revealing anymore of my cleavage, frustrated I couldn't pull the towel up anymore for fear Reiji would then be able to see the _'kitty'_ hiding under there. I'd had enough trouble from when I fell and Laito saw my undies…I didn't need my towel slipping down/riding up. Then again, I didn't think that even that would cause Reiji much arousal, him seeming more like he would just greet my nude form with that current disgraced snarl of his. I think I was more irked by the fact he couldn't just get past my lack of decency and say what he'd come here to say than by him seeing me in such an indecent outfit.

"Oh, yeah, the towel. Sorry, I've just had a shower and I didn't want to make you wait while I changed. There were no bigger towels so…yeah, here I am…hehe" I explained myself with a cheery tone, a sheepish grin spreading across my cheeks even as I felt only frustration towards his reaction. "So, erm, Reiji…what was it that you wanted again?" I asked after Reiji's lengthy and silent glaring affair became too awkward to bear. I was trying to keep a sweet expression as I spoke even as I knew Reiji's intentions were anything but. He told me that he had come to personally ensure I was where I was supposed to be since his brothers failed to uphold the simple responsibility of not 'letting the food wander around unsupervised'. I was at a loss as to what he was talking about. "…Huh?" After a lot of pretentious complaining regarding my intelligence, the truth of the events since I awoke became clear:

It seemed Reiji had told Laito to wake me up and bring me downstairs so that he could discuss some of the terms regarding my new life here- the reason for that pervert being sad about leaving during the grandfather clock chiming all due to the sound telling Laito that it was time for me to have met Reiji. Then, when Laito had carelessly let me run away, Reiji had to ask Subaru to return me to his care since the youngest Sakamaki was the only one who knew how to navigate that side of the woods, which led to the 'incompetent fool' only doing half a job and leaving me to wander the mansion unsupervised. He then exclaimed that he was surprised that Kanato, of all people, was the one who was competent enough to bring me back to my room, and if not for him, I would still have been roaming around in the haunted hallways.

I cut Reiji out mid-sentence with a gasp of surprise, my ears twitching with curiosity at the word 'haunted'. Reiji peered at me over the top of his specs, clearly not happy with my outburst, before sighing impatiently and explaining that the west wing of the mansion was designed as a safe guard for any _human _intruders. The hallways and rooms there were all alike and stretched on endlessly, meaning the person trapped there would be forced to roam them until they ended their life to escape the maddening torture. They would in turn join the ghosts who made the hallways endless, and the vicious cycle would continue. Reiji didn't even try to hide the sadistically gleeful expression that came to light during this part of the explanation.

He then continued, finally explaining it was Kanato that had apparently realised where I was, and had gone to the trouble of revealing the hallway that let me go to the living room he'd been in- only powerful beings such as vampires couldn't fall into the eternal trap, humans were unable to see the escape hallways without supernatural guidance.

I was at a loss of words. I wasn't just horrified by the news, in fact, it was experiencing feelings of confliction more than anything. On the one hand, I was _amazed_ by the fact the vampire's lair, this mansion, possessed areas with spirits and ghosts roaming the halls, my heart racing in excitement at the thought. _The ghosts must've hid themselves so well, I couldn't see them and figure out what was going on!_ On the other hand, finding out that even when killedby the residents of this mansion_,_ the boy's still found a way to cruelly use people for their own gain even in the afterlife (use as a defence system for the very house they were killed in), it left a foul taste in my mouth.

"-this is why it is imperative that you be supervised when wandering parts of the mansion you don't know, there are many traps and tricks here that foolish little humans such as yourself cannot even begin to fathom." He shook his head at me like explaining said traps would just be too much for my puny brain, continuing. "Another mistake like that and you could just be another one of the many souls trapped here, doomed to haunt the halls and never find peace in the afterlife." Reiji told me not with any concern in his tone, but in a matter-of-fact way, as if reciting from a textbook. I stared at him blankly, struggling to take all this new information in.

_The villagers from the nearest town had been right; this __**was **__a haunted house._ Having lived with Yokai my entire life, I wasn't clueless to dark spirit's malicious acts and I was certainly educated by my Yokai elders on the type of things ghosts and poltergeist could get up to. But even so, I hadn't noticed any ghosts roaming the halls with me, and I hadn't figured out in all that time that the hallways had been some trick by the lost souls of this place. It infuriated me that I'd been so careless, my Yokai elders would be ashamed if they saw me now. Vampires, it seemed, weren't my only supernatural problem here.

**I can't believe vampires can't see the Yokai of this world, but can see and use the ghosts of dead people? That's so fucking confusing- although, the Spirit elders told us about the differences between the Yokai world and the Ghost world before…**

Reiji cleared his throat loudly, telling me with his disciplinary gaze alone that I needed to stop staring into space and pay attention to him. I snapped back to reality, trying to look casual even though I was still in in a tizzy about the information given to me. "Anyway, we can discuss at length how to get to the necessary rooms of the mansion by yourself- and where to avoid the dangerous ones- at another time. Right now, I wish to discuss what I originally came here to inform you of" He paused, as if for dramatic effect. "You shall begin attending our school with us, starting tomorrow"

…

…

…**Well he really dropped a fucking bomb on us, didn't he?**

* * *

_**HI! How you doing? What do you think of my newest chapter? Do you like it? Or not? All opinions are appreciated ;)**_

Sorry this chap took so long, I'm really not happy with the way I'm writing now- the very reason why it took so long to finish this goddamn chap! ARGH, *hulk rage* (/;_;)/ - But I thought there was no point in not writing anything while in this funk, I figured if i just keep doing more chaps, I'll slowly and surely improve my flaws and get to where I'm happy with my writing! :D Yayyy positivity!

So please carry on enjoying my story as it is now, and soon enough, you'll be reading much better written chaps- slowly and surely!

So yh, not much happened in this chappy, just a very long winded explanation of Akako taking a bath (I'm getting better at cutting down my description, I swear!), doing 'activities' in these baths for no reason other than I wanted her to ;) , and Reiji coming in with a buttload of exposition :D that it? yh, that about sums it up...

Next chapter Reiji will continue explaining about School, and another private scene with a brother will happen before I write out a school chap- Oooh, which bro will it be? not that there's much choice, lol, after Reiji is done, there's only SHU and AYATO left so it's pretty much a 50/50 chance...yh.

**Please leave a review if you're feeling kind and you got a little time to show your love, I'd love to know your thoughts on the overall chapter and storyline? If not, thats fine guys cause you can always show your support through other means ;)**

**...(I of course mean following my story or favoriting it...nothing else...HONEST!)**

You don't have to worry because I promise to update soon, so until then, see ya! ;)


	9. Tea Trouble

I froze at his words. I had come out of a lot of life-threatening situations with a brave face, but that place unnerved me more than the Vampires did. _**School**_. My overly dramatic gasp of surprise was quickly followed by a swoosh of air enveloping my body. It took me a few seconds to realise I'd ditched my grip on the towel in my shock.

Colour, faint but noticeable, rose up from my neck to temporarily paint my cheeks. I locked eyes with Reiji, his only change in expression the slight, blink-and-you'll-miss-it, widening of his eyes. I felt the chill of the air cling to my skin, and before goosebumps began to develop, I'd snapped out of my disconcerted stupor and looked down at myself to let out the most underrated, blasé 'whoops!' of my life- as if this situation was but a mild inconvenience to me. I gulped down whatever minor feelings of discomfort dwelled in the pit of my stomach and moved to clumsily wrap the material around me once more. Once properly adjusted, I broke off to flash an apologetic smile, poorly suppressed giggles escaping me.

**Thank god we shaved when we had the chance, we don't need him seeing that wild jungle that was going on before!**

Thanks to a childhood littered with, _ahem_, let's just say _less-than-modest_ role models, I didn't feel real embarrassment about flashing him, but there was something else about his gaze that was making me squirm. His eyes, narrow and close-set, cast an uncomfortably piercing stare…

Even while I'd finished securing my towel around me and wished to continue the conversation, Reiji continued to stare at me with that gaze, one that made me feel more vulnerable and bare than I'd been in a literal sense a few moments prior. I found it hard to ignore the unrelenting hunger in them, not for blood or sex, but for some way to show he was better than you, greater than you in _any _and _every _aspect of life. It was a hunger his apparent superiority complex required, and my actions seemed to fuelling it.

I attempted to shake it off, knowing I would have to get used to such a stare while living here. I grinned widely, flashing a wink his direction. "Sorry about all that, I didn't think you'd be seeing me nude until _much_ later on, you know? Ha, ha…ha." My joking tone trailed off as I noticed Reiji's frown deepen. A passing comment on how disappointed he was that the newest meal was such a 'desperate whore shamelessly pining for him', dampening my mood instantly._ Eh, did this bastard not have a shred of humour in that inflated ego of his!? _

**Yeah, and he's complaining now, but we all know where his left hand's heading to when he's thinking about our sweet ass later in bed tonight…**

Still, I forced a sweet smile through what would otherwise be a sour expression. ''let's…just forget it ever happened, okay? I'm ready to hear you out about this 'school' thing now…" I moved to the side and motioned for Reiji to come inside, feeling that this talk would require more than just a quick chat by the door hole. He considered my offer for a brief moment, the scowl on his face showing just exactly what he thought of my offer, before striding into the room anyway. A ridiculously exaggerated eye roll towards his actions left me before I could help myself.

I thought about sitting down on my bed, but knew instantly that the towel would ride up too high. Since I didn't feel like hearing another slut-shaming quip from Reiji, I remained standing, arms awkwardly folded over my cleavage in a way that didn't make the 'girls' look eager to burst out of the towel and greet Reiji once more.

Reiji cleared his throat, carefully toggled the positon of his glasses, and started his grand speech about me attending this school, putting emphasis on the fact it was solely a 'human' one and explaining- in _painful_ detail- the history from when their father founded the academy to the present. I stomached it, wondering if history class was gonna be this boring and if I would survive such lessons, before the thought about asking why a vampire king would want to build a human academy in the first place crossed my mind. But looking at the passion that lit up Reiji's otherwise cool eyes as he proudly dished out his vast knowledge on the old building, I decided instead to hold my tongue. _He clearly put preparation into this speech, might as well let him enjoy the moment…_

"…Even with his influence, it was still extremely difficult to get someone like _you _into such a high class, prestigious academy- especially in the middle of the year and lacking the intention to do the entrance exam." Reiji put no effort in hiding his distasteful sneer when mentioning me. I reacted to his tone only by raising a questioning eyebrow his way, choosing to stay silent. But, the more he droned on, the more questions filled my mouth and burned my tongue. After what seemed like forever, they finally burst from my mouth like an erupting volcano, my tongue spitting words heated with passion as if they were lava. I failed to stand and listen quietly like the obedient little girl Reiji would've wanted me to be.

"- Ahh, really sorry for interrupting you Reiji, but before you continue, I just gotta know-" My next words were rushed and blurred together as I tried to get in all I had to say before Reiji inevitably cut me off. Question after question excitably tumbled out of my mouth; why would the vampire king bother building a human school, does this mean you Sakamaki's are the only vampires attending or are they more roaming around? Are they noble's children? Are the teacher's human or vampires? Do you have classes at night and sleep in the day, since your nocturnal creatures? Are the humans just there so vampire can get a quick snack during lunch break? Why do vampires, who age much slower than humans, have to attend some human school when you had time to get a PHD three times over before your classmates were even born anyway!? Why are you learning from an academy with other attendees when you could just have royal tutors come to the mansion? Why do you need to learn subjects off of a human curriculum when Princes such as themselves must have specific things you need to learn to rule an entirely different species?

Eventually, having not expected Reiji to let me ramble on as much as I had, I ran out of things to ask. My voice simply drifted off until we both stood in silence once again.

"And errrm….yeah, that's about it…" I chuckled awkwardly as I broke eye contact with the vampire to stare nervously at my fidgeting feet. I was worried he would flip out for interrupting him.

Silence came from Reiji. Unsure if that was a good or bad sign, I impatiently peeked at his expression through the grey strands of my fringe to find the vampire surprisingly nonchalant. He wasn't getting frustrated or agitated like I'd thought, but instead just gazing at me like a scientist observing some sort of specimen under a microscope would- he was greatly intrigued by the curious actions of a lesser species. He mustn't have been expecting me to ask the sort of questions I did, and it had startled him, the evidence showing through his usual poker face.

"I…." Realising his pause was a tad too long, Reiji cleared his throat and tried again. "It is interesting how quickly you seem to have unravelled a vampire's lifestyle, your questions clearly show you at least have partial understanding of our kind, and that kind of quick deduction will make your new position with us much easier" While it sounded like a compliment, I couldn't help the nagging feeling he was treating the fact I was the new live-in food like some sort of work position rather than my unfortunate demise. "But despite how refreshing it is to not have to deal with a new bride going through a horrendously sob-filled breakdown or annoyingly reckless denial stage, it seems you still don't fully understand your position…" I didn't like the victorious smirk that finished his sentence, the tips of his fangs showing. My eyes went wide, a startled expression on my face.

"E-Eh? Oh please, _Mr_ Reiji, I'll a-" I began to start sweet talking him, putting on my most charming smile, but Reiji only began to chuckle deeply. I wasn't in on the joke, so Reiji oh so _graciously_ explained.

"-I have no need to tell you anything if I don't wish to, foolish girl. If you are to live with the Sakamaki family, you should learn quickly your role here is to listen and comply _**without question**_." I failed to refrain from jutting out my lower lip like a spoiled child, the curiosity in me still gnawing at my insides. "It is quite presumptuous of you to think that you could just ask questions without permission and expect answers from me - not to mention incredibly conceited." I could feel my eyes narrow and my cheeks puff out at his words, barely managing to stop myself from snappily replying.

**Asshole, didn't have to put it like **_**that**_**. If he wants us to hand out our blood like we're just an endless red fountain, the least he could do is answer a few questions! We're not asking for the world here...**

I knew his lack of an answer would eat me from the inside out until I found out the answer myself, it was just the way I always was._ Vampires_, vampires were what I needed to learn about, not the subjects at the academy Reiji spoke of- they weren't the lessons that were gonna keep me alive! I've been spending my life learning everything there is to know of the countless supernatural creatures that walk the earth since I was a child…not _algebra_. How else was I meant to survive when the church threw a werewolf my way just to test me, they certainly weren't throwing equations at me, it wasn't that kind of test. And the Yokai, as human as they wanted to raise me, were more concerned with old fashioned practical skills like cooking, cleaning, house repairs and gardening than anything else.

"The only thing I will say to you is that as we are vampires, a nocturnal lifestyle is to expected. Which means, yes, you should prepare to attend night classes with us as opposed to the typical daytime schedule…"

Well, that was one question answered at least, just a billion others to find out myself…

"W-wait, Reiji, I should probably mention, I've never gone to a school in my life, I was, errm, _home schooled_ as a child by my father…teachers, homework, that's all foreign stuff to me!" I suddenly realised I should mention such details, thinking back to the very basic and lacklustre education I've received from said father- someone who couldn't have cared less about me memorising the periodic table. The thought of if I could ever get by in a normal school, let alone elite academies for rich prodigies, consumed my thoughts.

Before me and my father had moved to Japan, I was raised somewhere in Europe during a time when my power was barely developed and so easily hidden. My father must've found me human enough during this part of my childhood to warrant teaching me read and write in English…though nothing else off of the school curriculum made it into my daily lessons! His efforts even back then were still more to do with instilling obedience and suppression of supernatural powers into me. After my powers had become much more prominent and harder to control, we'd moved to Japan and by this point, my father deemed me too monster-like to continue teaching, finding school very much a 'human privilege' I now failed to qualify for. I've never had any Japanese formal training in my life!

**Jesus, we're fucking clueless! I mean, we can understand basic Japanese like for reading road signs and menus and stuff, but writing high school level shit and doing tests and getting graded!? We're gonna get recorded as the fastest drop out student in the entire history of Japan!**

Reiji, clueless to the internal commentary to my panicking, voiced his thoughts to my problem with a snobbish air. "_Humph_, well regardless to how you were educated prior to coming here, in this elite school for the prestigious and noble, you will now be connected to the Sakamaki household and as such, you must do your part to uphold the Sakamaki's status. A high and well regarded status at this school is a must for this family." The heart pounding worry I was now feeling over school must've shown on my face, because Reiji continued. "Be sure to adjust to a school life quickly…unless of course, you'd rather have me personally deal with any failings of yours?"

At my inquisitive gaze, a deep throaty chuckle escaped him, an amused smirk crawling across his face as he opened his blazer slightly, revealing the sleek black leather end of a small riding crop. It was sticking out of one of the inner pockets, the exact same whip he was quick to brandish when I'd first arrived here.

"I'll warn you now, although my tutoring skills are exemplary with a 100% success rate, my methods may be harsher than the standard teacher. My previous students would attest to that… should they still be among the living, that is" The gleeful glint in his eye as Reiji watched me struggle to keep a brave face at his warning showed just how much he'd enjoy to watch me fail, to have an excuse to see that leather hit my skin.

This was bringing back memories of the lessons with my father, and I wasn't sure how I felt to know I would once again feel my skin welt at the kiss of a riding crop after so many years escaping it. But I also knew this wasn't the time to freak out about these vampire's methods of control, I needed to do one of two things towards their actions- find a way to avoid it, or suck it up and try to make the situation bearable. In this case, the former was probably the best one to try. School had never been something on my mind, something I'd ever be able to experience, but with this chance the vampires have given me to attend a real school, maybe this was the time to dust off a few science books and learn something new? Maybe this could be a positive thing, even with the whipping threats…?

Or maybe this could just complicate things more.

**Well, we could suck off the teachers for good grades instead of actually studying- that's not just a porn thing, right? I mean, it happens in real life…I think?**

While I tried to wrap my head around catching up on 10+ years of school quick enough to avoid having Reiji become my tutor from hell (_literally_), He began to explain how he'd actually listened and gone into my suitcase to collect the letter from my father I had spoken of upon first arriving. He didn't go into detail about the contents of the letter, and I was smart enough this time to not voice my nosy questions, but he did say that it clarified a lot about my upbringing and previous lifestyle. I just smiled and nodded as if it was good news, though I wasn't fully sure what that meant. I was confident my father wouldn't be so quick to just casually explain my not-so-human properties, my familiarity of the supernatural world and my 6-year disappearance act on some letter addressed to the head of the Sakamaki household...right?

**Hmmm, well, their own father knew about our powers (even had the audacity to mess around with them through that injection), and still didn't tell his sons, so I don't see why 'Daddy Dearest' would be so quick to help out the princes if he only gets benefits from sticking with the **_**king's**_** good side- then again, I never really know what that scheming asshole is thinking…**

Whatever the letter spoke of, Reiji gave no hint towards thinking of me as anything but human. Though he was extremely suspicious about the fact my father mentioned I've never had any forms of identification except for forgeries, and that it was now the 'Sakamaki's duty to obtain high class fakes for me to get by with'. I cringed at his sharp tone and grimace, Reiji clearly not one for illegal activity.

_**Woah**_**, boy, if only you really knew how many laws we've broken…**

I begrudgingly explained that my Father hadn't gone through proper methods to make the move from Europe to Japan, so we were technically illegal immigrants and that was the reason for my fake papers.

"Well, regardless of the reason, you should be truly grateful that the Sakamaki's have such a large influence on this school, or the office wouldn't have enrolled you without proof of identification just from our word alone. We're going to have to wait a while to get high enough quality fakes of everything you need. Most prospective brides don't require this much work from us, you know"

I flashed an apologetic grin, shrugging my shoulders helplessly as I mumbled an insincere sorry. There wasn't much I could say that to that, after all. The work I had to do to survive from the Sakamaki's really didn't compare in difficulty to his task after all.

"Now, let us end this inane conversation, it has already gone on far longer than I can tolerate" Reiji softly announced, a weary sigh escaping him, as if he'd just been trying to discuss politics with a toddler instead of talking to me. Perhaps to Reiji, there was no difference. Before striding out of the room like he a businessman late for a meeting, he ordered me to quickly dress and meet him in the living room, school started soon. I couldn't even call out to him to come back and explain. Nothing but the weak stuttering of the beginning of his name managed to splutter out of my mouth, leaving me sounding much like a car engine failing to start. Well, it wasn't like he'd left much room for argument anyway.

**That high-handed JACKASS! After all this time, he didn't think to tell us until he was **_**leaving the room**_** that we're leaving to start school **_**right this minute**_**!? **

I agreed, a string of profanities being mumbled under my breath. _What is he thinking?_ I heatedly thought,_ I don't even have a unifo-_

That train of thought evaporated as I glanced to the left of me and saw that sat atop my bed, neatly ironed and meticulously placed, was a brand new female uniform, no doubt for the academy Reiji spoke of. Bewildered by how Reiji managed to place that there without me realising, but also being aware of the many powers a vampire possesses, I didn't bother racking my brain over it. I walked over to my bedside and gingerly picked up the material, knowing just by rubbing the fabric between my finger and thumb that the uniform was more high quality than anything I'd ever stol- _worn _in my life. Reiji was right, this academy was definitely for the rich and high class.

Fear began to set then, the fear for once not of being killed, but of being _alone._ _What if…what if the students think I'm just some poor dumb lowlife compared to them!?_ Worrying about not fitting in and being an outcast amongst humans has always been present in my life, but never have I had to deal with as vicious a social situation as a _high school_. None of my previous training in how to not be an awkward loner couldn't have prepared me for such a harsh environment…

Nerves quickly setting in before I'd even stepped into the school building, I attempted to shake them off by focusing on carefully putting my new uniform on piece by piece, taking time to make sure I would look like a prim and proper student when I was finished. If there was one way to stand out among the rich and educated, it was the way you dressed and how you carried yourself. I had to walk in there with my best foot forward. I glanced at myself in the mirror when I was done, nervously smoothing the unseen creases in the knee length skirt. The Victorian girly style of the uniform told me exactly how posh this school would be, the uniform design even going as far as adding a white petticoat under the skirt- something I was sure people haven't worn since the 1900s! It complicated the already complex dressing process. I also had to wear a deep black V neck over my shirt, one which had enough frills bursting from the neckline to scream 'Look I'm a pretty, pretty princess!'. Then, as if one large white bow peeking through the frills of my shirt wasn't enough, I had to wear an _additional_ red bow over that!

Failing to tie either of the bows neatly after several minutes of effort, I threw my hands up in the hair and gave up, knowing I needed to meet Reiji soon. Throwing on the final piece of my uniform, black knee high socks and little brown shoes, I moved to leave the room- but not before grabbing my trusty IPod and stuffy it in my skirt pocket.

**Oh yes, every conscientious student on honour roll always has to stop and grab their trusty IPod to get those perfect grades! **

_I don't appreciate the sarcasm_, I thought back snappily, _you know exactly why I'm bringing it. _Spirits were almost everywhere, even wandering in school grounds, which meant that even if I couldn't get that warrior Kitsune on my side, I could at least grab another ally that's away from the mansion. I'll need know especially if this school will be my second main location that involves dealing with the vampires. The best way to get a Yokai on your side was through music, so my IPod was vital in helping me with my new recruiting task.

**Hmm, yeah, yeah, I can sorta see your plan here; We get a little Yokai School Squad, we ask 'em for a few favours here and there to avoid getting blood stains on our nice new white shirt, and Bam- We only have to deal with their vampire bullshit at home! Plus, if you think about how we spend 6 hours, 5 days a week, at school- well, that's a lot of time with some beefed up bodyguards, you know?**

Finally making it to the living room, pleased that Reiji had the decency to send one of the butlers to silently lead me there, I entered the room facing the strong bittersweet aroma of freshly brewed tea. I spotted Reiji sitting against one of the recliners, his legs crossed, teacup in one hand and saucer in the other.

"Ah, you have finally arrived." He greeted, glancing in my direction. "I have just finished brewing some stimulating black tea to wake me up" I sat across from Reiji, crinkling my nose as the somewhat overbearing smell of black tea assaulted my nostrils much more than from the room entrance. Looking down at the tea set he'd placed on the coffee table between us, and promptly noticing that there was only one tea cup, a bitter scowl added to my expression.

**So…no tea for us then?**

_Guess not_. Though Reiji had no milk and sugar set out anyway, and as someone who was constantly told off for their oversaturation of milk and sugar in their tea, I knew deep down that I would've turned down his offer for the black poison even if there had been a cup there…but it still irked me that he didn't even consider that I might have wanted some too. Knowing better than to voice my complaints however, I sat quietly and observed Reiji instead. I made a conscious effort to sit up straight with my hands gently clasped on my lap, wondering if I succeeded in sitting like a proper lady should- knowing it would please the ever strict Reiji as well as stop my fancy uniform creasing.

I noticed the way Reiji fell silent as he focused on consuming the hot liquid, a little smile of pleasure creeping onto his face every time he took a sip. It seemed Reiji was _really_ into his tea, and regardless of how dismissive the pretentious prince was of my intelligence (and, well, just _me_ in general), I couldn't help but let a big stupid grin appear on my face at his expression. It was nice watching someone when they indulged in something they enjoyed, it added a certain air of innocence to the bloodsucker's happiness that I could appreciate.

_**Hmph**_**, but when he flashes his fangs and wants to indulge in our blood, his happiness won't be so innocent then.**

_True_, I thought, still nonchalantly watching Reiji, _but it's these kind of moments that let you appreciate that if they didn't give into the tendency to be cruel beasts, they could actually be quite…normal._

But eventually, much like a child, I got bored of sitting quietly and began to fidget. I twiddled my thumbs, tapped my feet, bit my lip, hummed a tune and then sighed dramatically. Even my posture, which I had diligently kept up, gradually began to slip until I ended up slouching fully in my armchair with my limbs flopped down and stretched out everywhere. Reiji, besides glaring at me with murderous intent, didn't say anything to my less-than-proper actions, until I began to bite my nails and he finally seemed to snap.

Once Reiji ever so carefully put his teacup and saucer down, while I was distracted by a particularly interesting bee trying to fly through the window, he seemed to have gotten out his trusty whip and slammed it right onto the coffee table. I felt like I jumped up 5 feet into the air, glancing around startled until I pinpointed with wide- and _glowing_\- eyes the source of the loud bang.

"Considering what it is I'm currently doing, it is rather rude of you to keep distracting me with _disgusting_ and _animal-like_ practices" Reiji said with a smirk, his voice low. I tried to laugh off the frantic pounding of my heart, still jolted by the shock of the whip, saying I was getting bored and I must've got a bit carried away. But my cheeky grin didn't sway Reiji in the slightest, his smirk widening until his fangs began to show. "It seems you have already forgotten what I taught you about your position in this house. My sincerest apologies, I truly did not think that a simple change of room would revert the progress I thought I was making. To think that I would have to guide you to this extent…how utterly deplorable"

Reiji slammed the whip down once more, this time aiming for the left arm of the chair, mere centimetres from where my hand lay. My body jolted as if I'd been electrocuted, my hand pulled towards my chest faster than my mind registered. The action was not heated or fuelled by anger, but instead simply a precise and calculated action to warn me of its influence on disobedient new brides. I gulped deeply, my grin lapsing into a stunned frown as I felt my skin tingle from the fright of being so close to the taste of leather.

Reiji asked me if I now understand. My eyes moved from looking petrified at the whip to locking eyes with Reiji, unflinching, unfaltering. In that moment, fear seemed to shrivel from my thoughts, and it showed in my expression. I nodded my head wordlessly. Reiji gazed at my eyes curiously, but made no mention to them as he pocketed his whip and replaced the now empty hand with a teacup. He repeated his question, his tone a tad sterner, and I confirmed my answer with a short and concise 'Yes, Reiji'. He could sense something was different about me, I could tell by his inquisitive gaze alone, but finding my obedience adequate, he presumably shook it off and continued.

"I am pleased." The smile on his face confirmed that. "Now sit there _quietly_ and _still _while I finish my tea. Honestly, you are quite troublesome for a servant…"

My eyes glowed even brighter at him calling me a servant, the air thick with tension. My power, for the first time since the Laito incident, was making itself known. My blood boiled, the taste of power leaving sharp prickles to dance across my skin. My _**Dark State**_ was ready to be unleashed if I wanted it to, I just had to allow it. I could hear my _**Dark Side**_ whisper throughout my mind, telling me that even though she agreed to follow my plan of not attacking the boys, she was still ready if I was ever to change my mind. I knew how the reliability of my power had been greatly tampered by the injection, I knew I wouldn't be able to tell if I'd have such ready access to my abilities the next time the boys threatened me, but regardless, the choice was obvious. I forced myself to keep it at bay and turned away to my _**Dark Side's**_ complaints. I wasn't in enough danger to draw it out for one who has only threatened and not yet acted, that much was clear, but besides following the rules I'd put in place for myself, there was something else stopping me from acting recklessly.

Something was _different_. Something was _**wrong**_. I couldn't quite tell what it was, perhaps just a paranoid feeling drawn from the tampering of the injection, perhaps not. Either way, I knew enough about my own body to know it wouldn't be good to draw my power out now, that if I did, something bad would happen, something much worse than what normally happens when my _**Dark Side**_ has control of me…

There was no doubt in my mind. Whatever happened the next time I entered my _**Dark State**_, I would finally be able to experience what the maturing of my powers really meant.

* * *

_**HI! How you doing? What do you think of my newest chapter? Do you like it? Or not? All opinions are appreciated ;)**_

Hey everyone, you still with me? I'm almost at my 10th chapter, so many thousands of words I've already written and I haven't even got to the school chap yet (/;-;)/ why is writing *well* so hard? thankfully I'm getting better at editing down my writing and cutting out random crap, so thank you to everyone that's stayed through the admittedly quite bad first few chapters...either way, by the end of the story, my writing will be much more up to par than now :D

So yh, not much happened in this chappy, its pretty much just part 2 of of the last chapter. Normally, I would've put these two chapters as one chapter, but I've been worrying my chapters are too long for some readers so I tried seeing what you guys would think of splitting them- please let me know if you prefer reading one big chapter or two smaller ones? :P

I know I said last chapter would include the next brother but I thought it best just to do it next chapter., as well as the limo ride to the school. Depending on how long I make the chapter, I might also include how her first class went, or I might make that an entirely different chapter. Meh, we'll see which direction it takes when I'm writing it. Once again there's only SHU and AYATO left so it's pretty much a 50/50 chance...yh. One will be featured now and the other will be featured at the school so...i think you can tell which one is gonna show up where ;)

**Please leave a review if you're feeling kind and you got a little time to show your love, I'd love to know your thoughts on the overall chapter and storyline? If not, thats fine guys cause you can always show your support through other means ;)**

**...(I of course mean following my story or favoriting it...nothing else...HONEST!)**

You don't have to worry because I promise to update soon, so until then, see ya! ;)


	10. IMPORTANT UPDATE- DISCONTINUING

HELLO LOYAL READERS, I'M WRITING THIS TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I'M NO LONGER CONTINUING _**THIS **_STORY, BUT I STILL LIKED MY CHARACTER AND STILL WANTED TO WRITE A DL FANFIC, SO I HAVE REBOOTED/REWRITTEN THE STORY WITH REVISED/UPDATED STORYLINE, CHARACTERS AND SCENES. IT WILL ALSO BE WRITTEN IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, BUT HOPEFULLY MUCH BETTER STYLE.

IF YOU LIKED THIS STORY, I'M SURE YOU'LL LOVE THE REBOOTED ONE EVEN MORE, SO I HOPE YOU GO ONTO MY PAGE AND FIND THE LINK TO THE NEW STORY! :)


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